Mind Games
by tpt player 5701
Summary: Ladybug narrowed her eyes as Hawk Moth, turned to face Cat Noir and said, "Well, Adrien, my son, I see you have all your friends with you." Hawk Moth raised his arms to either side, and a massive swarm of Akumas rose into the air. "Unfortunately for you, so have I."
1. Chapter 1

_AN: This is the sequel to my first Miraculous fan fiction, "Milady." I would strongly encourage you to read that story first, though you can get a general idea of its plot from this chapter._

_To The Keeper of Worlds: All I can say is, you have no idea how messy it's going to get!_

* * *

Adrien knelt on the hard wooden floor of the dojo, Master Fu mirroring his position opposite him. Aside from the rug on which they knelt, the room was sparsely furnished, with little more than a couple sleeping bags rolled up in one corner. There was a simple wooden side table against the far wall, on which stood the ornate phonograph that housed the Box of the Miraculous. Plagg lounged on the table, staring appraisingly at a piece of cheese. Marinette sat next to the table leaning against the wall, Tikki curled up on her shoulder. The only concessions to modern technology visible in the room were the phone Marinette held and the tablet which rested on the floor in front of Adrien.

Adrien looked back down at the tablet, on which he had been reading the Book of the Miraculous. He remembered how furious his father had become when Adrien discovered the book in his office and took it to school so he could look through it – the day Lila was first Akumatized into Volpina. When Adrien lost the book, his father had threatened to withdraw him from school and cut him off from all of his friends, until Marinette returned the book and confessed. And apparently the reason she had taken the book was because _she_ was Ladybug, and this book contained all the secrets of the miraculous.

After the years of remaining in the dark, of not having the full story even about his own miraculous, Adrien was still overwhelmed sometimes by the events of the last several weeks. When he had invited Ladybug over for dinner at his mansion on the last day of school, he'd had no idea what would result. That he would discover Ladybug's true identity and that he would reveal his own identity to her – although he had secretly hoped for both of those events to happen one day. But he had not counted on his father's revelation that he had used Adrien's feelings for Ladybug to manipulate him into luring Ladybug into a trap. Or that his father was really Hawk Moth.

And now that he was living at Master Fu's dojo until they could defeat his father, it seemed that the revelations were coming nonstop, as Master Fu taught Marinette and himself all that he knew about the miraculous, the Kwamis, and the Order of the Guardians into which Master Fu eventually wished to induct Marinette.

"Master Fu?" Adrien asked, having finished reading the section about the cat miraculous. "Something strange happened while I was fighting against Hawk Moth and Mayura. I used Cataclysm while holding my staff, and it was actually _channeled_ through the staff. The Cataclysm was released out of both ends of the staff at once when they touched the mansion walls. And then there was some residual energy in the staff a couple minutes later and I was able to use another mini-Cataclysm. What do you think it means?"

Master Fu stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment before answering. "I do not know for certain, child. I do not recall reading about anything like this happening for a previous cat miraculous holder. However, I can take a guess. Both the staff and the Cataclysm are generated by Plagg's power, channeled through the cat miraculous. Do you see?"

Adrien nodded. "So maybe the one can't harm the other?"

"Perhaps. Perhaps instead of destroying the staff, the power behind the Cataclysm recognized the power within the staff as being its own power, and the Cataclysm resonated with it."

"Then does that mean that the staff can channel and amplify my Cataclysm?"

"That is certainly possible," Master Fu agreed.

"Does that explain why the Cataclysm was so much stronger than it's ever been before?"

"Maybe. There is another explanation for the force of the Cataclysm, however. The power of the miraculous is connected to the emotional state of the miraculous holder. When Alya watched her friends falling to their deaths in what she thought was reality, that acted as a catalyst and unlocked the fox miraculous' true power over illusion, burning away the falsehood and granting clear sight of reality – at least temporarily. I believe the same held true for you at the mansion. Tell me, have you ever felt that much rage and anger before as Cat Noir?"

Adrien was silent for a moment as he thought. There had been difficult moments before – Heroes' Day was positively terrifying! But never had he been in such a difficult, hopeless situation before. Finally he shook his head. "I've never felt that way as Cat Noir before. There have been rough moments, but I've never felt so close to dying, felt such despair and hopelessness, before… When I used my Cataclysm I believed I had betrayed my Ladybug, that she was going to be hurt or killed, and that it was all my fault. Then there was even a moment near the end that I really thought _I_ would die, that my father was going to kill me, and I was actually okay with that! Does that make sense?"

Master Fu smiled. "It makes perfect sense," he replied. "Your emotional state amplified the power of your Cataclysm. And," he went on, "your resolution in the face of certain death shows, I think, that you have fully embraced your mission as Cat Noir. Have you ever wondered why I chose you? Why I lent out two miraculous to stop Hawk Moth, when the butterfly and peafowl miraculous were both missing and in evil hands?"

Adrien shrugged. "I just figured that both Ladybug and Cat Noir were necessary to stop Hawk Moth and save the world."

"Both _are_ necessary," Master Fu said, "but Cat Noir is not necessary to save the _world_. He – you – are necessary to save _Ladybug_. Ladybug's power of creation enables her to purify akumas, to undo the destruction and harm caused by evil. Cat Noir's power, however, balances out her power of creation through destruction. So the cat miraculous' power is far more akin _to_ the evil. Cat Noir's power of destruction causes harm more often than it heals the harm; Plagg's impact on history should be example enough of that! This is not ordinarily the ability of one who is to save the world. But it is the perfect ability for the Ladybug's guardian to have, is it not?"

"Wait, so my role all this time has been to keep Ladybug safe?"

"That is one way of looking at it. The other miraculous all give their users abilities helpful for assisting the Ladybug in her mission. But only you have the precise ability necessary to keep her safe while she completes that mission."

Adrien furrowed his brow in confusion. "So does that make me the expendable one?"

Master Fu shook his head. "That means no more or less than that your mission is the one you have set yourself for the last two years, ever since you first met your Ladybug. The mission you chose before ever learning what the Cat Noir's role has traditionally been. The mission you accomplished three weeks ago when you fought your father: to keep your Ladybug safe. Is that such a bad mission?"

Adrien looked over at Marinette, who was still reading the Book of the Miraculous on her phone, her eyes scrunched up and tongue sticking out slightly in concentration. He smiled at her and looked back at Master Fu. "No, I guess it isn't such a bad mission."

"And tell me, even if you did not know that this was Cat Noir's mission, would you wish to do anything else, especially now that your Lady's feelings toward you have become so clear?"

"Well, no. If anything, now I want to protect her even more."

"So has learning this changed anything for you?"

"I guess not."

Master Fu smiled broadly. "You see, while this may be your mission, it is you who has chosen to accept the mission, and it is you who will choose how to fulfill it."

Adrien turned back to the tablet as Master Fu stood up, stretched his arms and legs, and walked into the kitchen. The runes on the page were still as indecipherable as ever, and he was tired of struggling through Master Fu's rough translation. With a sigh, Adrien followed suit, standing up and stretching his neck to work out the kinks. He walked over to sit down next to Marinette. She looked up from reading the Miraculous Book on her phone, smiled at him, and laid her head on his shoulder once he was seated. Adrien wrapped an arm around her and squeezed gently.

"How did I get so lucky, Bugaboo?" Adrien asked her. To her questioning look he explained, "I spent 2 years trying to find my Ladybug, the girl of my dreams, even though she wasn't interested in me. And you were right here the whole time. When I needed you the most, you were there for me. After that fight, you brought me to safety, battered, bruised, and bleeding. You stitched me up and healed me. And then you told me who you were, that you were in love with me as Adrien, just as I was in love with you as Ladybug. And suddenly, this. How did I deserve this?"

Marinette smiled. "I could say the same, Kitty. After all, it was my fault you were all bruised and battered and bleeding in the first place. If I hadn't frozen, I could have rescued myself without you having to reveal yourself. Keeping you safe and patching you up was just trying to make up for my mistake. If anything, I didn't deserve your loyalty and protection that night."

Adrien laughed. "Making up for my mistake was all I was doing, too. I was the one who invited you to that deathtrap of a dinner, so I was just trying to get you out of it. I couldn't have done anything other than what I did. I could never watch anyone hurt you."

Marinette blushed and leaned in to kiss him.

"So how is it going, reading that book?" Adrien asked her when she pulled back. "Are you understanding the code any better now than last week?"

"It's slow going," she answered, "but parts are becoming clearer. Take the combination of miraculous, for example. We can combine the powers of the main 7 miraculous with any of the Zodiac miraculous to merge their abilities together in different ways. The cat and horse together would allow you to use Cataclysm at great distances, for example. The ox and fox together can create a solid illusion that you can interact with."

"What about the main 7? What would happen if we combined our miraculous?"

"I haven't been able to decipher that one yet," Marinette admitted. "I asked Master Fu a while back, and he said that the ladybug and cat are the yin and yang which preserve balance in the universe. So combining them would grant the user one wish, enabling him to manipulate the balance of the universe in any way he wants. The universe would grant that wish, but it would balance the wish out in some way. So if we wished for an end to world hunger the price might be all the water on the planet. If we wished for world peace, it could come at the expense of free will."

"Wow," Adrien said, leaning his head back on the wall and closing his eyes pensively. "Total power over the universe – but with a massive catch. No wonder my father wants the ladybug and cat miraculous so badly. But what wish could he possibly want to make that could be worth those consequences?"

"I don't know." Marinette shrugged. "You know him better than I do."

"I thought I did."

Marinette hugged him in sympathy. "Whatever wish he wants to make it would not end the way he wants it to. That's why we can't let him get our miraculous."

"No, we can't," Adrien agreed. He squeezed her tight and rested his cheek on the top of her head. "And he will never get another chance to hurt you, Milady. I'll always protect you."

"I know."

The front door of the dojo opened at that moment, and Adrien glanced up to see Alya and Chloe entering. Chloe flared her nostrils at the sight of them, but Alya held up her phone and took a picture of them, grinning widely.

"You realize if you show that to anyone I _will_ have to kill you, right?" Marinette said without looking up.

"Don't worry, girl," Alya teased. "I'll wait until after we've got your boyfriend's crazy father locked up to put these all over the Ladyblog!"

"A true friend," Adrien observed with a chuckle.

"So, anything new to report today?" Marinette asked, sitting up straight. Alya and Chloe moved to kneel across from them as Master Fu brought in a tray with teacups, a kettle, and a couple dishes of cookies. He put a small plate of cookies on the table beside the phonograph, and all the Kwamis flew over to help themselves. Then Master Fu placed the tray between the kids, knelt beside it, and began pouring the tea.

Chloe shook her head. "It's all been quiet at the mansion. Your father did another round of interviews for his social media person today, but that's it. We didn't see any Akumas or Amoks leaving, so still no idea which part of the house they are coming from or if your father even has a lair at the mansion."

Alya added, "There was a work crew there looking at the hole you left in the wall, but they didn't start repairing it yet."

"I'm kind of glad Miraculous Ladybug didn't fix that," Adrien observed. "My father deserved so much worse than that!"

"Do you think they saw you?" Marinette asked.

Alya shook her head. "We stayed in the bushes and watched from a distance. I used Mirage to get us in and out. I don't think anyone saw us."

"Does anyone else find it concerning that Hawk Moth hasn't sent out a single Akuma since our fight at the Eiffel Tower?" Marinette asked, looking around at the others. "Has he ever gone this long before?"

Adrien shrugged. "Maybe my father doesn't know what to do now that he's been exposed. Or maybe he's decided to go straight. Or maybe he's biding his time, waiting for us to make the next move."

Chloe arched an eyebrow. "Do you really think your father decided to just give this up? Whatever 'this' is? He's never struck me as the 'giving up' type."

Master Fu interrupted them. "Whether he is still planning to use the miraculous or not, we must retrieve them from him. We cannot allow the butterfly and peafowl miraculous to remain in the wrong hands!"

"Until we know where they are, though, there's not much we can do," Adrien responded.

"How is Nino's part of the plan going?" Marinette asked.

Alya giggled. "Well, some of his recruits are a little more… enthusiastic… than the others, but he says they are all improving. When we need them, he says they will be ready."


	2. Chapter 2

_To Rose Tiger: Writing the relationship between them in this story and the next is a lot of fun. Of course, everything can't just be "sunshine and roses" for them. Where's the fun in that? Also, we will see what happens when the big reveal happens; the summary combines text from 2 chapters in the second half of the story. It was either that or use the last paragraph of "Milady," and I thought this would convey a little better what's going on in "Mind Games."_

* * *

Carapace put his hand on the back of his helmet in frustration. Despite his confident words to Alya earlier, the others just didn't seem to be improving as well as he had hoped. Viperion still doubted himself after he'd gotten absorbed by Party Crasher within his first seconds of having the miraculous. Pegasus was happy to help out, but was hesitant to engage, preferring to hang back behind the others. King Monkey was excited about being a hero, and he was improving well enough, but he lacked discipline and focus. _But would I expect anything else from Kim_? he thought, shaking his head ruefully.

That only left their newest recruit: Taureau Dechaine. Despite – or perhaps _because_ of – Ivan's normally gentle personality, he had taken to the ox miraculous with a level of enthusiasm that was refreshing for Carapace to see. Unfortunately, Taureau Dechaine's enthusiasm had yet to translate into ability. He was still unused to the naturally-augmented strength the miraculous gave him, as he had demonstrated for the seventh time by smashing apart the shipping container he was supposed to be pushing across the abandoned rail yard where they were training.

"Taureau," he said again, "your miraculous enhances your strength more than all the rest of ours do. You don't need to ramp it up quite so much to move the container, dude!"

"Sorry, Carapace," Taureau Dechaine said, looking away in embarrassment. "I forgot. It won't happen again."

"I doubt that," Carapace muttered, suppressing a chuckle. It wasn't fair of him to expect more than he was already getting from _any_ of his trainees at this early stage – especially from Ivan, who had only received his miraculous that week.

As much as he hated to admit it, what his recruits needed was an Akuma attack. The rest of them had learned to use their miraculous by fighting Hawk Moth's minions. Carapace still remembered the first time Ladybug had given him the turtle miraculous, when he'd helped her rescue Alya and Cat Noir from Anansi, Alya's Akumatized older sister. Despite the terror he had felt when Nora abducted Alya, the humiliation of her insults, Ladybug – Marinette – had given him confidence along with the miraculous. And it had all been worth it for the way Alya had looked at him when he rescued her.

Hawk Moth had been pretty quiet lately, so it was unlikely that they would have an Akuma to train against today. Of course, Carapace wasn't exactly disappointed. He didn't really want to fight an Akuma. For now, he would content himself with having his recruits spar against each other. Or against him.

"Right, let's form up," he called, smacking his shield with his fist. "Four against one! You win if you put me on the ground and keep me there for 10 seconds. I win if I hold you off for 5 minutes. No special abilities!"

Carapace held his shield in front of himself and braced his legs. The others took positions encircling him. Behind his shield, Carapace watched Taureau Dechaine's eyes, following King Monkey and Pegasus in his peripheral vision. Behind him, he could sense Viperion tensing to spring. He grinned. _This will be a good test – either for them or for me!_

He only had a second of warning when Taureau Dechaine's eyes flickered to a spot behind him. Instantly he sidestepped toward King Monkey and dragged his foot, tripping up Viperion as he ran past. Viperion stumbled forward into Taureau Dechaine's arms. Carapace swung to face King Monkey and lifted his shield to block the staff sailing toward his head. Hearing a whistling sound from behind him, Carapace shifted the shield over his head, taking King Monkey's staff with it, to block the horseshoe that Pegasus had thrown at him. He turned around to face Pegasus with the motion, stepping inside King Monkey's guard and throwing an elbow back to catch King Monkey in the gut, knocking him to the ground gasping for breath. He held the shield in front of himself to deflect the cattle prod Taureau Dechaine was swinging at his head. Taureau Dechaine followed up the cattle prod with a punch that Carapace caught with his shield. The clang of the impact echoed across the yard.

In his peripheral vision, Carapace saw a flash of movement as Pegasus caught his horseshoe and charged, brandishing it to swing at Carapace. Carapace quickly slipped the shield off his arm and, without taking his eyes off of Taureau Dechaine, pulled back and threw the shield discus-style at Pegasus, who dove to the side to avoid the flying disk. Carapace held up his fists to parry a series of punches from Taureau Dechaine, though one still landed on his helmet. Carapace fell back a step to recover, his ears still ringing.

He never saw the tackle coming.

Viperion caught Carapace around the legs and sent him crashing to the ground, landing on top of his legs. Carapace struggled, but the grip around his legs tightened. He felt the others jump on top of him and finally tapped out, admitting defeat. He felt the weight on his back disappear, and then a pair of hands grabbed him by the shoulders as Taureau Dechaine lifted him to his feet.

Carapace wiped the sweat from his brow before accepting the shield that Pegasus held out to him. "Good job, guys," he finally said, clapping King Monkey on the shoulder and grinning at them. "Great job working together at the end there. Make sure you're not getting in each other's way or being used against each other. Taureau, you tipped me off with your eyes when Viperion moved; practice using peripheral vision to keep track of your friends. But good work. Take a couple minutes to recover and we'll try it again."

Carapace walked over to where he'd left his water bottle, stretching his shoulders as he went. Perhaps they were improving after all; last time he set them all against himself, they hadn't gotten him to the ground at all and _he_'d somehow pinned Taureau Dechaine on top of King Monkey! All the same, fighting each other in training just wasn't the same as real-world experience. He poured the water into his mouth and let some run over his face.

So lost in thought was he that he almost missed the sirens in the distance.

"Carapace!" Viperion shouted, pointing at the road.

He jumped, startled, and turned to watch the fire trucks racing past the rail yard. As they passed he gave his fellow heroes an appraising glance. Someone needed help, and his trainees needed experience. Without further hesitation he raced after the fire trucks, waving for the others to follow him.

_What could this be?_ he wondered as the heroes' feet pounded along. _I really hope this is _not_ an Akuma attack._ An Akuma would mean shame and humiliation for its victim. Carapace was intimately familiar with the trauma of learning that he had been used by Hawk Moth as a pawn; he had been Akumatized twice, first as the "Bubbler" on Adrien's birthday, and then as "Oblivio" along with Alya – _that_ had been a weird one to sort out in his head! And even beyond that, Marinette had told him she wanted him to handle all the training himself. Alya had informed him in no uncertain terms that he was not to bother Marinette and Adrien unless it was absolutely necessary. And unfortunately, Carapace's abilities did _not_ include purifying Akumas. So hopefully this was _not_ an Akuma attack.

When the heroes arrived, they found the firefighters setting up hoses and ladders in front of an apartment building that was already engulfed in flames. Carapace nodded to Viperion, who twisted his miraculous to activate Second Chance. Carapace turned back to the building, analyzing what they needed to do. The firefighters were already setting up to extinguish the fire, and none of his trainees had abilities that could speed up the process, so he turned to the possibility of trapped civilians.

As if reading Carapace's mind, Viperion shouted, "There are two children trapped in the apartment on the far side of the top floor."

"Pegasus?" Carapace called. "You and King Monkey get them out!"

Pegasus nodded and used Voyage to open a portal. He and King Monkey stepped through only to return a moment later holding two small children over their shoulders, whom they carried over to the fire truck and handed to a pair of waiting paramedics.

Viperion ran over to stand next to Carapace and said, "There's a family trapped on the ground floor. We need to get to them now!"

"Where?"

"Right behind this wall." Viperion indicated the solid wall to the left of the front door.

"Taureau?"

Taureau Dechaine grinned as he stepped forward and shouted "Stampede!" He bellowed as he charged through the wall right where Viperion had pointed. The wall wobbled slightly as he passed through, but it held. Carapace and Viperion ran in after him. Carapace grunted as Viperion pushed him to the side, narrowly avoiding a falling bathtub. He nodded to Viperion and pushed himself to his feet, holding his shield over his head against the falling cinders and debris, and covering his mouth with his other hand. They followed Taureau Dechaine further into the burning structure, looking in all directions for the trapped family.

"Right behind here," Viperion said, pointing to a door.

Taureau Dechaine pushed on the door gently until it broke into pieces and fell into the room. The three heroes stepped inside, where they found a mother and father huddled in the corner, covering their two children protectively. The father looked up in confusion and hope as they entered the room.

"Now!" Viperion suddenly shouted, grabbing Carapace's and Taureau Dechaine's arms and running pell-mell into the room, straight toward the family.

Without hesitating, Carapace held his shield over his head and shouted "Shellter!" A green force field spread out from the shield, covering the three heroes and the family. Not a second after the force field appeared, the entire building collapsed around them. The debris caught on top of the force field, forming a ball of bricks, wood, and debris around them. Carapace sighed and sat down on the floor while they waited for the fire to burn itself out around them. He looked over at Taureau Dechaine and Viperion and grinned. Viperion nodded back to him pensively, looking around in bewilderment and relief. Taureau Dechaine simply stretched out on the floor and stared up at the debris covering their force field.

Seeing the expression on Viperion's face, Carapace turned to him and whispered, "How many times?"

Viperion grimaced. "Seven. One of them you were both crushed by the building when it collapsed, I broke my arm, and I was barely able to reach my miraculous to undo it," he answered. "Then there was one when Pegasus accidentally placed his portal in the wrong apartment and he and King Monkey walked straight into a fiery inferno."

Carapace nodded and put a hand on his shoulder. "I can't imagine how hard it is to watch these things happen," he said sympathetically. "But remember: you stopped each of those futures from happening. Because of you, we saved these six people, and we all survived. We couldn't have done it without you."

"I know," Viperion responded, looking down at his hands. "But I still saw them happen."

The fire had mostly died out by then. They could see water pooling around the force field, showing how close the firefighters had gotten to their position. At a gesture from Carapace, the other heroes both pushed themselves to their feet. Viperion took the hand of the little girl; Carapace took the boy's hand. Taureau Dechaine moved to stand by the parents. Then they saw some of the debris start to shift.

"Guys? You okay in there?" Pegasus shouted.

"We're fine, but you'll need to move some more of this stuff to get us out!" Carapace called back.

At that moment a piece of ceiling that had been resting on the force field was pushed aside, and they saw King Monkey looking back at them, holding his staff under the ceiling piece as a lever. With that piece out of the way, the debris resting on top of the force field shifted and slid off. Carapace let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as he dropped the force field. Holding the boy's hand firmly, he walked out, lifting the boy over piles of rubble as he did so. Behind him, Viperion and Taureau Dechaine followed him escorting the rest of the family. They brought the family to the waiting fire truck, where the firefighters began checking them over for injuries. Carapace stepped aside and waved to the other heroes, who came over to stand by him.

The boy pushed away from the firefighters and ran over to the heroes. "Mr. Carapace," he said, "thank you."

"You're welcome, little dude," Carapace answered, grinning down at him and holding out a fist for him to bump. "But you'd better let the firefighter make sure you're okay."

"I know. Thank you!" The boy ran back over to his parents, who pulled him into a hug and looked over at the heroes in gratitude.

Carapace turned back to the others and smiled. "Great job!" he said, clapping Pegasus and Viperion on the back. "This is what it's really about!" He looked around at the others. "I think we're done for today. Let's head back to the rail yard."

Once they had returned to the rail yard, the other four all de-transformed in turn, gave treats to their Kwamis, and handed their miraculous to Carapace. He thanked them and before they left he reminded them to return the next day to continue training.

Carapace waited until the others had disappeared around the corner before de-transforming himself, taking out a cookie for Wayzz, and slipping the four miraculous boxes into the carrying case Master Fu had given him. Then he left the rail yard and turned toward the dojo. It had taken some convincing for Master Fu to allow Marinette to recruit more heroes, especially so soon after allowing the turtle, fox, and bee miraculous holders to keep them long-term; agreeing to only loan the miraculous to the new recruits for now had been a long-fought compromise.

Nino stretched his shoulders and neck against the stiffness his helmet always left him with. "What do you think?" he asked Wayzz. "Think we'll get to see Alya tonight?"

"I am not sure, Nino," Wayzz answered. "Marinette did say that you were all eating dinner at the dojo this morning, did she not?"

"Yeah," Nino sighed, "but I was kinda hoping for more than dinner with the family. Other than these evening meals, Marinette's been keeping both of us so busy I don't remember the last time we did anything together. Of course, I guess the last few weeks have been rough on all of us, and none more than Adrien."

"It will get better when we have defeated Hawk Moth," Wayzz said sympathetically.

"I hope so." Nino laughed. "Just one more reason I can't wait until Adrien's rotten father is taken care of!"


	3. Chapter 3

_AN: I know that the second half of season 3 introduces a couple of new heroes, but I decided not to use them in this story because I still haven't seen those particular episodes yet and I don't want to misrepresent or mischaracterize them. So I went with a completely new character whose abilities I could create for myself._

_To The Keeper of Worlds: Thanks! I was trying to show, among other things, that Paris actually needs the heroes for more than just fighting Hawk Moth. If and when they eventually defeat him, that doesn't have to be the end of their story._

* * *

After dinner that evening, Marinette walked back to the bakery with Alya and Chloe. It was Nino's turn to stay the night at the dojo with Master Fu and Adrien, so the three girls were going to have a sleepover themselves.

Marinette glanced over at her two friends – even after three weeks, just _thinking_ of Chloe Bourgeois as a "friend" was still such a strange concept! In many ways, Alya and Chloe were polar opposites. Alya had become her friend the moment they'd first met, constantly encouraging her and helping her to gain confidence around Adrien, pushing her to tell him how she felt. Chloe had been the popular girl at school who ignored or mocked her, who tormented her last year when she found out about her crush on Adrien. Alya would do anything _for_ her; Chloe would do anything _to_ her.

At the same time, they shared a love of Ladybug. Alya became a fan at the very beginning, creating a blog dedicated to her without knowing that Ladybug was her best friend. Alya had been a fan, but Chloe had idolized Ladybug, wishing and hoping to be her. Marinette guessed that the last fact had made all the difference in the three girls' relationship over the past three weeks.

Chloe looked at Marinette and caught her staring at her. "What are you looking at?"

"Sorry," Marinette answered, embarrassed. "Just thinking about how crazy this still feels. Can you honestly say you ever imagined spending the summer at my house? Having sleepovers with me and Alya?"

Chloe laughed scornfully. "As if! You would never have caught me _dead_ in that bakery! And as for the two of you… I could never see myself spending time with the two of you!" On seeing the amused looks on Marinette's and Alya's faces at her words, she paused and smiled. "Or at least, that was my attitude _before_. Before Ladybug, before Pollen, before becoming Queen Bee. And before finding out who Ladybug is. Now? Who knows? Maybe I wouldn't hang out with Marinette Dupain-Cheng and her best friend for the summer. But I would definitely hang out with Ladybug and Rena Rouge."

"Well I guess she _can_ change," Alya observed, grinning. Chloe blushed.

"So what _did_ change?" Marinette asked.

"I guess _I_ did." Chloe shrugged and looked away. "I realized a while back that so many people were Akumatized because of me. I know it was Hawk Moth who actually did it, but _I_ was the one who pushed them over the edge so that he could do it. And I did it to those I was the closest to – I did it to Sabrina twice! Couple that with watching Ladybug, and everyone's reaction to her, and suddenly I realized I wasn't really the person I wanted to be. Suddenly I'm not the center of attention anymore; you are. Suddenly I'm not the leader –"

"Since when were you ever a leader, Chloe?" Alya interrupted with a laugh.

Chloe pressed on as though Alya hadn't said anything. "Suddenly I want to be a better person. Like Ladybug. So, I guess, that means I want to be more like you. I never imagined I would _ever_ be saying _that_!" She fell silent. Eventually she looked over at Marinette, a questioning expression in her eyes. "Did you really convince Master Fu to let me have the bee miraculous again? Even after everything I said and did to you? Why?"

Marinette nodded thoughtfully. "I guess for me and Adrien and Alya and Nino, the miraculous brought out the good that was already there. I was already kind, and the miraculous helped me be selfless. Adrien was already brave, and the miraculous helped him be noble. For you, I saw that the miraculous made you _want_ to be those things. You _wanted_ to be brave and kind and caring, and the miraculous brought those things out in you." She shrugged. "I thought it could make you a better person." Out of the corner of her eye, Marinette could see a look of shock and even admiration on Alya's face as she said that.

"I won't let you down," Chloe said earnestly.

"So I have to ask: how did you convince your parents to let Chloe spend the summer with you?" Alya asked as they reached the bakery and climbed the stairs to Marinette's room. The three Kwamis emerged from their hiding places and sat down in their accustomed spots on Marinette's desk, while the three girls stretched out around the room.

Marinette giggled. "We told them that the hotel was being remodeled this summer," she answered, spinning around in her desk chair. "The same 'earthquake' that affected the Agreste mansion knocked some things loose at the hotel, and Chloe's room is unusable. After all, you _did_ put a head-shaped hole in the ceiling! So that's why Chloe needed somewhere to stay."

Chloe added, "And I said that my daddy is looking for a new baker to supply the hotel, and he thought it would be good for me to stay here, 'mend fences' with Marinette, 'learn how the other half lives,' that sort of thing. That wasn't a _total_ lie. Daddy actually _has_ been disappointed with our current baker, so he really has been looking for a new supplier. And I am going to suggest that he talk to your father – once all of this is done and over with, that is."

"And your father is okay with you staying away from home for the whole summer?"

Chloe laughed derisively. "Mommy is in Paris for the expo this summer, and I think daddy was actually happy when I told him I was staying with a friend. I think he's happy to just have _one_ of us at home! Although he wasn't too happy when I said that I couldn't tell him which friend I was staying with."

"And Sabrina?"

"She was less understanding when I told her I wasn't going to be around at all for the summer, though she seemed happy when I said it was because of hero business." Chloe looked thoughtful. "I hope she's having a good summer without me."

Marinette glanced at Alya, and the two girls suppressed a giggle. Then Alya gave Marinette a look before going back down to the bakery to pick up a plate of macaroons, leaving Marinette and Chloe alone. Marinette looked at Chloe and grimaced. She'd been putting this question off for so long, but she couldn't put it off any longer. She couldn't beat around the bush on it; there was nothing for it but to be direct.

"So have you and Adrien talked yet?" she asked. There; it was out there.

"What do you mean?" Chloe gave her a look, daring her to go on.

"You know what I mean," Marinette retorted, plunging ahead. "You've been his friend forever. You had a crush on him all that time. And then this summer we got together. And right after you find out that we're somehow a couple, you have to come and live with me. It doesn't take a genius to figure out there could be a problem. You haven't said one word to me about him or our relationship all summer. You've barely looked at us when we're in the same room with you. He said he was going to talk to you a while ago to clear the air. Has he?"

Chloe let out a breath and dropped to sit on the chaise. "Yeah, we talked last week," she finally said, reluctantly, looking down at her lap. "I shouldn't have been surprised how it turned out. He's never felt the same way about me that I did about him. He's only ever seen me as a friend; he only ever had eyes for Ladybug."

Marinette nodded, blushing. She had hoped that Adrien would talk to Chloe, that she would accept her relationship with Adrien and not make a fuss about it. Considering that Chloe had never even considered Marinette as a _rival_ for him, the fact that they were now dating had clearly stung the other girl more than she would let on. Since then, she and Chloe had been able to talk about everything _except_ Adrien – and over the last few years he was the one that had both brought them together and drove them apart.

Chloe shrugged and looked at Marinette. "I guess I can't exactly blame Adrien for that," she said. "There are worse things than losing him to Ladybug. And to be honest, with everything that's happened – his injuries, finding out his father's Hawk Moth, all of it – I am glad that he has you now. He's actually looks… _happy_… when he's with you. I didn't think he'd ever look happy again, after his big announcement."

Alya returned at that moment with a couple plates of snacks, put one plate on the desk for the Kwamis, and brought the other over to the couch. The three girls spent the next hour giggling and talking about school, about their friends, and about other things. They wondered what the boys were doing, and if they were having as much fun together as they were. Before the girls started watching a movie, Chloe went down to the guest bedroom where she was sleeping in order to change.

After she left, Marinette told Alya, "I'm sorry for keeping you away from Nino so much this summer. I'm sure this isn't exactly the way you planned on spending your vacation."

Alya shrugged and gave her an easy grin. "To be honest, this isn't too different from what I'd been planning to do over the summer: make new friends, spend as much time as I can with the old friends, see the sights of Paris with my boyfriend… The only real difference is that I expected to be doing all of those things _without_ Trixx instead of _with_ him!"

Trixx turned away from the plate of cookies that he, Tikki, and Pollen were sharing to pout. "You mean you didn't want to spend time with _me_ this summer? That's not fun!"

Alya giggled as she picked him up and gave him a hug. "Actually, having you with me all the time might be the _best_ thing that's happened for the summer! I just never expected to have the miraculous permanently like this."

Marinette smiled affectionately as Tikki gave her an approving wink. "I'm glad," she said. "I'm sorry we didn't trust the miraculous to be out and around Paris before now, but Master Fu thought the risk was too great. I always wanted to have you with me and Cat Noir. Now we can fight together anytime we need!"

"Thanks," Alya told her. Trixx returned to the cookies, and Alya turned to Marinette with a questioning look on her face. "So how are things with the Princess of Paris living in your house?"

"Strange," Marinette answered. "Half the time I feel like she isn't paying me any attention. The other half the time, I think she's trying to make up for all the times she was mean and callous and cruel to me, all at once, being super nice, completely unlike the Chloe that we all know."

"Well, you _did_ turn out to be her hero, so…"


	4. Chapter 4

To The Keeper of Worlds: I hadn't really considered that in this story beyond the kind of teamwork in Chapter 2. The concept of combining miraculous plays a bigger role in the sequel.

* * *

Gabriel Agreste looked at the young woman sitting across the desk from him and fidgeting nervously with the résumé she held in her hand. While he was careful to maintain a professional, dispassionate exterior, he seethed inwardly. He didn't understand why Nathalie insisted that they needed to hire someone new to manage the fashion house's social media accounts – and especially why she insisted that he continue the interviews now, when he was so close to his ultimate goal and the "heroes" could attack his house any day.

This particular candidate – "Jeanne Rambeaux," he recalled from her résumé – was the least impressive candidate yet. She was fresh out of university with no work experience and thought that spending half her life on Instagram qualified her to manage his company's entire social media image! A waste of time and space.

And while he sat here, listening to this young woman prattle on about "the best profile pic she'd ever used," he was losing precious time with which he could have been searching for Adrien. He sighed in frustration. It had been nearly a month since he'd last seen his son, transformed before his very eyes into Cat Noir, sailing through a plate glass window, propelled by a swipe from the dumb brute Gabriel had hired to be his son's bodyguard. He sometimes wondered which was dumber: the bodyguard or the purple gorilla!

Adrien. That he hadn't heard any news about his son – either as himself _or_ as Cat Noir – in that month was concerning, but Gabriel supposed that if his son had been too grievously wounded by the fight, he would have been taken to a hospital, and the hospital would have called his father. But Gabriel had no way of knowing for certain. He had resisted the urge to send out his Akumas to hunt down his son, knowing that if he did so he could force the heroes' hand and cause them to come after him before he was truly ready. Now that Ladybug and her allies knew his secret, he would have to tread carefully. If only he had succeeded in placing Mlle. Rossi inside Ladybug's group as a mole; a pity the girl was overeager and tipped her hand.

Gabriel thought back to his previous fight against Ladybug and Cat Noir on Heroes' Day. The fencing technique that Cat Noir had used against him at that time had stirred some latent fatherly memories; Adrien had used similar moves in a match the month before. He should have realized then that his son was Cat Noir. Of course, he had been too wrapped up in his plan to realize just how much Adrien took after his mother, to put the pieces together between the son he had raised and what he had seen of Cat Noir.

Yes, Adrien took after Emilie far more than he had ever realized. The knowledge stirred a sense of pride in Gabriel, one which he felt far too rarely when it came to his relationship with his son. Adrien had inherited his mother's looks; he had also inherited her nobility, selflessness, and kindness. He certainly was living up to her family legacy.

Gabriel forced himself to pay attention to the job applicant at hand, who had continued prattling on about statistics of traffic during peak times of day. He sighed. This one would never do.

"Mlle. Rambeaux," he interrupted her, "I apologize, but we will not be asking you to come back for the next round of interviews. I thank you for your time, but I think you will be better suited finding a different place to put your talents to work. Perhaps the beggar down the block needs someone to keep his FaceTubeSpace updated for him. Good luck in your future endeavors. Goodbye."

With that, Gabriel stood up, indicated for the flustered Mlle. Rambeaux to do the same, and waved for her to find her own way out of the mansion. When the door had closed behind her, Gabriel slumped back into his chair and groaned. This was the tenth interview of the day, and he still had another 15 scheduled for the afternoon! He was tempted to hire the next person through the door, just to make the suffering end.

Then he would be able to get back to the grand plan. He was still missing a few pieces, and his busy schedule left him no closer to identifying them.

He felt a twinge from the brooch he wore hidden beneath his tie. Gabriel closed his eyes, concentrating on the twinge, tracing it back to its source… right outside his own mansion. It was that fool who'd just interviewed with him! Evidently she had not taken the rejection well. _Perhaps_… he considered… _Yes, perhaps this can work out to my advantage._

Gabriel stood up from his chair and walked around the desk to his portrait of Emilie. He automatically keyed in the combination to descend to his lair. "Nooroo, dark wings rise," he said, as soon as the glass elevator had opened, letting him out in the underground grotto. Reaching down, Hawk Moth gently wrapped his hands around a white butterfly and concentrated before releasing it to fly back up the elevator shaft, through the house, and out the front door, to where its victim was still fumbling with her car keys.

"Catalysto," Hawk Moth said as the telepathic connection was formed, "I am Hawk Moth. Your job application was rejected because your skills aren't impressive enough, but now I am giving you the ability to enhance the skills of yourself and those around you. All I ask in exchange is that you bring me Ladybug and Cat Noir's miraculous!"

Hawk Moth snorted as he watched his newest target drive away from the mansion through the telepathic connection. He didn't really expect this one to get any further than any of the others. This girl didn't have the same burning desire for power and revenge that drove Lila Rossi, his favorite "partner"/victim. She did not bring the same utter ferocity to the role that had driven the Dog Walker. Her power would not create the same terror as Dark Cupid or Zombizou. She didn't even offer the same air of the unexpected that came with Akumatizing a small child like Puppeteer or Gigantitan. Frankly, he would have bet Nathalie that this girl wouldn't last more than five minutes against the least of the heroes. He knew how Nathalie would have responded, had she been in the lair with him: she wouldn't have given her more than _three_ minutes!

But still, perhaps this Catalysto would surprise him; he had never expected a knock-off comic book character like Dark Owl to nearly succeed in capturing the miraculous. That Robostus, an artificially-intelligent robot, had nearly killed him in his own lair while under his Akumatization still baffled him. And even if Catalysto failed to capture the miraculous, at least her power set was one of the missing pieces in his ultimate plan.

The ability to enhance his own powers such that he could Akumatize as many people as he wanted and build as great an army as possible was the key to his plan. It had nearly worked on Heroes' Day; he could certainly make it work now, especially with Nathalie as Mayura by his side and similarly enhanced. He would Akumatize the entire population of Paris, if necessary. Nathalie would create sentimonster companions for each of their minions. The heroes would be outnumbered by a million to one, and he would use his minions to subvert the heroes, turning them against Ladybug and his son. In the end, Ladybug would fall, and Adrien would either join him or fall with her.

Hawk Moth accepted both outcomes, as the power of the miraculous could certainly resurrect his son. All the same, he vastly preferred to think that Adrien would stand beside him willingly when he knew the purpose behind Hawk Moth's actions.

In his mind he could see Catalysto arriving at the city park, where she enhanced the abilities of a girl roller skating past her, such that the girl suddenly leapt into a triple back flip. She did the same to a boy playing baseball, who sent the next pitch he received sailing through 5 blocks-worth of buildings.

"You must have their attention by now, Catalysto," he muttered. "Now keep an eye out for when they arrive."

No sooner had he spoken than he watched through Catalysto's eyes as a quartet of heroes stepped out of a portal in front of her. There was Ladybug, front and center. But Cat Noir was not with her! Instead, she had brought Carapace, the young man with the snake miraculous, and a new hero Hawk Moth hadn't encountered before. Looking closer, he could see that this boy wore the ox miraculous. Although they had used the horse miraculous' power to arrive, he did not see that hero anywhere. Hawk Moth groaned. There was no way that Catalysto could overcome these four heroes – certainly no chance that she would draw Adrien out of hiding.

Sure enough, Catalysto accidentally enhanced the ox hero's powers for him, which he promptly used to punch her car keys so hard they turned to ash while passing through the ionosphere. He didn't need to watch any further as Ladybug caught and purified the Akuma.

Hawk Moth didn't turn around as he heard soft footsteps approaching from behind. "I believe I've changed my mind, Nathalie," he said. "I think I will hire this Mlle. Rambeaux."

"Her interview impressed you that much?" He could hear the doubt in her voice.

"Far from it. She is weak, self-absorbed, clueless, prattles… and that was just during the interview! When I Akumatized her she became weak, self-absorbed, clueless, prattled… and somehow managed to set a new speed record for being defeated! But," he added, "her particular ability will prove useful, and so we must keep her close. I only hope she doesn't destroy the company's reputation before Ladybug strikes. It's a pity you can't serve as my Catalyst again, my dear."

"I would be happy to," Nathalie replied, standing next to him and smiling. "But you need me to be Mayura for this fight."

"I do," he agreed, "but I hate watching the pain that the damaged miraculous causes you." He put a hand on her cheek and frowned.

She appeared taken aback by the gesture, but recovered quickly, covering his hand with her own. "You know that I will see this through to the end with you, right? It doesn't matter the cost."

"I know. Well, I suppose Mlle. Rambeaux will suffice, so long as she stays away from the actual fighting. _There_ she is as likely to be a liability as an asset."

"Does this mean that you are ready for Ladybug now?" Nathalie asked him as he de-transformed.

Gabriel shook his head. "Not just yet," he answered. "Catalysto will allow me to Akumatize more minions at once, but I will still need to make Paris vulnerable to my Akumas. I don't think Mlle. Rossi can do it this time, as we already used that on Heroes Day and I doubt the masses will believe her illusion a second time. Perhaps another option will present itself."

* * *

The rest of the workday passed without incident. Nathalie cancelled all of the remaining interviews after calling Mlle. Rambeaux back to offer her the job, leaving Gabriel free to turn his attention to the winter clothing line that he had neglected for far too long. Normally he would have had samples ready a month ago, but Adrien's injury, compounded by the accelerated timing for his ultimate plan, had left him distracted and unable to concentrate on his designs. Unfortunately, his distraction continued through the rest of the afternoon, leaving Gabriel without a new design and in a foul mood when the chef brought his dinner into the office at 7.

"What on earth is this slop?" Gabriel demanded, poking at the mess on his plate with disgust.

"H-Homemade ravioli, sir," the chef replied, wringing his hands nervously. "It's my mother's recipe, sir. It's very good! The sauce is homemade as well."

"'Homemade'?" Gabriel asked dubiously. "Only if your name is 'Boyardee,' I think!"

"If you would just taste—"

"_Taste_ it?" Gabriel laughed in derision. "I don't want anything to _do_ with tasting it! Take it away!"

"But sir—"

"Out!"

Gabriel groaned and put his head in his hands after the man had left. He hadn't deserved that; the food had looked fine, and he was ordinarily an exceptional chef. Gabriel had simply needed a target for his frustration, and the poor chef had gotten in the way.

He almost welcomed the twinge that came from his collar, indicating that the chef's emotions had turned negative. Perhaps this was his chance to find the last missing piece of the puzzle. He got up from the desk and descended back down to his lair, transforming as he did so.

A moment later an Akuma fluttered up into the main house, where it found the chef sitting on the kitchen floor with his head down, weeping onto a plate of ravioli.

"Mind Games, I am Hawk Moth. Your employer insulted your food and crushed you with unjust criticism. I am giving you the power to manipulate the thoughts of those around you so that no one can ever insult you again. All I ask in exchange is the miraculous of Ladybug and Cat Noir!"

Hawk Moth was curious to see just how powerful Mind Games would be. For his plan to work, Catalysto would not need to perform any impressive feats; all she would do is enhance the powers of those on his side. But for the plan that was slowly taking shape in his mind to work, Mind Games would need to manipulate all of Paris, perhaps even Ladybug and her friends, to make them susceptible to Akumatization. If it was going to work, he needed to see Mind Games in action.

"You are not going to find your quarry in the mansion, Mind Games," Hawk Moth said through his telepathic connection. "I will give you a chance to impress your employer in public. You need to go to the Eiffel Tower."

At first Mind Games resisted the instruction, and Hawk Moth sent a wave of overwhelming pain through their connection. Mind Games put his hand up to his head and moaned. "Do as I say!" he ordered. Finally, Mind Games left the mansion, leapt over the wall, and charged through the city toward the Eiffel Tower, launching ravioli full of psionic energy through the city as he did so. Hawk Moth felt the waves of fear and anger roll through the city in Mind Games' wake, spreading out like ripples in a pond. He grinned maniacally at the surge of potential he felt coursing through him. _This is what I need!_

Mind Games arrived at the Eiffel Tower just as a trio of the heroes arrived. This time it looked as though Ladybug had brought out more heavy hitters, as Hawk Moth recognized not only Queen Bee but also the holder of the monkey miraculous, who had called himself "King Monkey" the last time one of Hawk Moth's minions had faced him. Perhaps this was the test he needed. If Mind Games could overwhelm Ladybug and these allies, even with King Monkey's ability to disrupt powers, then he might not even _need_ more Akumas than this one.

"Watch out for King Monkey," Hawk Moth instructed Mind Games. "His ability to disrupt powers could prove your undoing. Take him out first!"

Mind Games obediently threw a ravioli at King Monkey, who swung his staff to deflect it away from himself. Mind Games growled in anger and unloaded his plate at the heroes. Ladybug and Queen Bee twirled their yo-yo and top respectively in front of themselves, causing the hail of ravioli to fall harmlessly to either side of them. King Monkey, however, was not so fortunate. He had stepped back, behind the other two, allowing them to shield him partially. A few ravioli passed between Ladybug and Queen Bee, heading straight for him. King Monkey saw the ravioli and deflected them, but one struck Queen Bee in the back.

"Good job, Mind Games!" Hawk Moth shouted gleefully. "Now force her to turn on the others. Have her use Venom on Ladybug!"

"Queen Bee?" Ladybug asked hesitantly. Hawk Moth watched through Mind Games' eyes as Ladybug's expression shifted from concern to confusion and finally to surprise and anger when Queen Bee shouted "Venom" and leapt at Ladybug. Ladybug dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack.

"I'm sorry!" King Monkey shouted, jumping between Ladybug and Queen Bee and brandishing his staff. He slapped Queen Bee away as she attempted to get around him to attack Ladybug. Ladybug spun around to dodge another stream of ravioli from Mind Games. "Uproar!" he shouted, winding up to throw the banana that had just appeared.

"No!" Ladybug shouted. "I'll handle Queen Bee! Use your power on Mind Games! If you disrupt his powers, that might free Queen Bee!"

King Monkey snarled in frustration as he turned to face Mind Games. At that point, Mind Games became too occupied in fending off King Monkey to watch Queen Bee's progress against Ladybug. Hawk Moth lost track of their fight. As Mind Games fought King Monkey, Hawk Moth had to admit that this particular minion was faring much better than he had anticipated. He had worried that Mind Games' ability would be limited to contact or have a time limit. However, the waves of anger and resentment continuing to emanate throughout the city demonstrated that these concerns were unfounded. And Mind Games' ability to influence the miraculous holders themselves would make him a powerful threat, regardless of how many allies Ladybug brought with her.

He heard a shout through the mental connection. Both Mind Games and King Monkey turned away from their fight to follow the noise. Hawk Moth nearly shouted in triumph as he saw that Ladybug lay on the ground with Queen Bee standing over her.

"Excellent work," Hawk Moth said. "Have Queen Bee help you subdue the Monkey, and then bring all three miraculous to me!"

As Mind Games turned back toward King Monkey, Hawk Moth saw through his eyes that King Monkey had already reacted, jabbing out with his staff at Mind Games' face. Mind Games ducked to the side, reaching for a ravioli as he did so. By this time Queen Bee had arrived and wrapped her top around King Monkey, pinning his biceps to his chest.

"Yes!" Hawk Moth shouted, pumping his fist. "Finish him off!"

Mind Games approached King Monkey, removing a ravioli from his plate as he did so. Before he could drop it on King Monkey's head, however, King Monkey dropped the banana he was still holding and swung his staff, underhanded, at the banana. He could only give it a soft tap, but the banana flew forward just far enough and landed on Mind Games' foot. Mind Games dropped the ravioli on King Monkey, leaving nothing but a smear of sauce in his hair.

"No!" Hawk Moth groaned, as Queen Bee shook her head and freed King Monkey from the top's string before the two of them quickly overpowered Mind Games. Hawk Moth sighed in disappointment as King Monkey threw Mind Games' plate on the ground, shattering it and releasing the Akuma. After King Monkey caught the Akuma in a pickle jar to wait until Venom wore off and Ladybug could purify it, Hawk Moth severed his connection to the Akuma and de-transformed.

He turned around to find Nathalie watching him.

"Was that really necessary?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Probably not," he admitted. "But this one lasted much longer against the heroes than that ditz Catalysto did. I think he is the last missing piece. When the heroes attack, we will give them the fight of their lives."


	5. Chapter 5

To The Keeper of Worlds: I'll admit, Mind Games is really just a means to an end, someone who will make people susceptible to Hawk Moth's Akumas. He barely registers in the rest of the story, even though he shares his name with it. (He's not the "Mind Games" the title refers to).

* * *

"Does everyone have snacks for their Kwamis?" Ladybug asked the others, all of whom nodded. They were hidden in the shadows of an alley close to the mansion. She let out a breath, but it did nothing for the tension still building in her chest. This would be it: the last fight with Hawk Moth. If everything went according to plan, they would defeat Mr. Agreste and take back his two miraculous; if anything went wrong, he would overpower them, seize the ladybug and cat miraculous for himself, and add another seven miraculous to his collection on top. But one way or the other, it would end tonight.

"Remember," Ladybug began, "we know that Hawk Moth's lair is somewhere at the Agreste mansion. We're going to go in first and find his lair. You wait here until—"

"Relax, LB," King Monkey said, grinning. "We know what to do."

Ladybug suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at his enthusiasm. Kim was a good guy, but he wasn't always the most serious, even in possible life-or-death situations like this one. But, then, that's what made him the ideal holder for the Miraculous of Jubilation.

"Right," Ladybug finally said. "We'll call when we have a position for you to join us."

Minutes later, Ladybug, Cat Noir, and Rena Rouge were safely hidden within a Mirage and making their way up the driveway to the Agreste mansion. Sensing the tension in Cat Noir, Ladybug reached over and squeezed his hand. He looked up at her, squeezed back, and smiled, though the smile didn't quite make it from his mouth to his eyes. Keeping her hold on his hand they slipped through the door and into the house while still under the Mirage.

Silence met them inside. Ladybug looked around in confusion. Normally the bodyguard sat in the entryway to keep an eye on the security system. Normally Nathalie would be nearby to greet visitors. Normally there would be _something_ going on. But the mansion was deserted. Ladybug felt a chill go down her spine at the incongruity.

"Where should we start looking?" she asked, glancing over at Cat Noir.

"I-I don't know," Cat Noir answered, brows furrowing as he looked around the entryway. "My father spends most of his time in the office, so we could start there."

The office door at the top of the stairs was slightly ajar, and they cautiously pushed the door open to enter. Like the rest of the house, they found no one in the office.

"Is it normal for your house to be completely deserted at dinnertime on a weekday?" Rena Rouge asked, glancing around the room with a look of discomfort on her face.

"No." Adrien shook his head. "Our chef should be here preparing the meal. Nathalie and my bodyguard should be somewhere. And there are usually some of Father's employees working late for the fashion house. I don't think I've _ever_ seen the house so empty."

"Well, I guess we don't need the Mirage," Ladybug commented, nodding to Rena Rouge. "Let's split up and search the room."

Rena Rouge de-transformed. "Is anyone else getting a weird vibe? No? Just me then?" Alya asked as Trixx flew out of her necklace pendant and dove into her shirt pocket for a cookie. Once the Kwami had finished his snack, Alya transformed back.

Meanwhile, Ladybug and Cat Noir rooted around the room. Ladybug checked every drawer in the desk while Cat Noir searched the bookcases. When she was ready, Rena Rouge examined every inch of the walls for secret passages. Finally the three met back up in the middle of the room to admit defeat.

"We've got to be missing something," Ladybug insisted. "Where did you find the Book of the Miraculous?"

"It was in that display cabinet next to the picture of my mother," he answered, pointing.

Ladybug walked over to the cabinet in question and opened it up. The book was still there, next to – "The peafowl miraculous?" she commented, holding the brooch up.

"That's what it looks like?" Rena Rouge asked, walking over to look at it more closely.

"No, not exactly," Ladybug said, shaking her head. "It should only have 5 feathers instead of 9 when it's in this state. This must be a copy."

"What about that?" Rena Rouge asked, pointing up at the painting of Adrien's mother.

Ladybug followed where she was pointing and started. Adrien's mother in the painting wore a brooch over her right breast identical to the peafowl miraculous except for a few small details. Ladybug reached up to touch the painting. Surprisingly, the painting felt smooth like metal under her fingers, rather than like a paint canvas. Running her fingers over the painting, she felt small bumps and grooves forming a peculiar pattern. _Curious_.

"Cat, can you run and get flour from the kitchen?"

A moment later, he had returned with a bag of flour, which he handed to her with a questioning expression.

"I think there's a hidden door or something here," Ladybug explained, still examining the canvas intently. "The flour is to help show it." She pulled out a handful of the flour, held it up to her mouth, and blew it on the painting. She gave a triumphant cry as the flour stuck to fingerprints on the painting in several places. She tried several combinations, but none of them seemed to work. "Ugh, why isn't it working?" she groaned in frustration.

"Shouldn't the miraculous be turned this way?" Cat Noir asked, reaching up and pushing on the brooch. The brooch slid into the wall and shifted, and a circle on the floor in front of the painting lit up. The three heroes squeezed together inside the circle just as it started descending into the floor. Ladybug wrapped her arms tightly around Cat Noir and Rena Rouge in the confined space. The elevator really was not large enough to hold all three of them.

The elevator dropped down a little lower, and they were able to see out into a large cave, dimly lit by natural light coming from the ceiling. Ladybug's jaw dropped open in shock. "How can something like this _exist_ underground?" she wondered, looking around wide-eyed.

"I-I had no idea," Cat Noir said, equally surprised.

"I guess this is what the family fortune went to?" Rena Rouge commented, raising an eyebrow at Cat Noir.

Ladybug could see delicate wings fluttering against the green grass, reflecting the lights. Off to one side she saw a set of lights shining around a recessed grotto. There was a strange cylindrical glass container within, but the lights surrounding it reflected off the glass in such a way that she couldn't see what was inside it. The rest of the cave looked deserted, but a paved pathway set into the glade led directly to a set of large black doors on the far end. Wordlessly, she gestured toward the doors, and the others nodded to her. As the glass walls around the elevator dropped into the ground, Ladybug leapt out, spinning her yo-yo in front of herself.

"Am I the only one thinking this is too easy?" Rena Rouge muttered, looking around the cave nervously as she stepped out of the elevator after Ladybug.

Cat Noir nodded. "Of all the ways I saw this going, an empty mansion and a deserted lair were not on the list."

Ladybug typed a quick message into her yo-yo. Then the three heroes hurried across the cave to the large doors. Ladybug pushed on one, and it slid open a couple inches with a groan. Cat Noir put his shoulder against it and pushed with all his might, forcing the door to swing inward. Ladybug charged through, swinging her yo-yo defensively, and stopped about 10 feet into the room. Rena Rouge and Cat Noir flanked her, staying behind her yo-yo and brandishing their own weapons.

Although she'd been expecting it, Ladybug's blood ran cold when a harsh voice greeted them from inside the room.

"I wondered how long it would take for you to arrive, Ladybug."

Hawk Moth stood in the center of a large, dimly-lit, tiled room, a cold look in his eyes. Mayura stood by his side. A purple-tinged butterfly perched on Hawk Moth's shoulder. The room was sparsely furnish; the only light came from a narrow opening in a circular window high in the wall behind Hawk Moth, which must have been just above ground level on the outside.

"You were expecting us?" Ladybug asked.

"Of course. Ever since you discovered my identity, I knew this day would come." He grinned manically. "You have come to take _my_ miraculous, and in so doing you have delivered to me your own!" Hawk Moth clapped his hands together, and the large doors slammed shut behind them.

Ladybug whipped her head around to find Gorizilla and Gigantitan standing on opposite sides of the doorway. Looking more closely, she saw dozens – scores – of Akumatized victims standing around the outer walls of the room. She gasped as the bottom fell out of her stomach. _How could I walk into another trap?_ She asked herself angrily. _And worse, now I've brought Cat and Rena into this one with me!_

She felt Cat Noir put a hand on her shoulder and squeeze it reassuringly. She turned slightly toward him to see a smile curling one corner of his mouth. She gave him a small nod and smiled back. Hawk Moth might have guessed at when they were planning to attack. He might have planned ahead. He might have his minions with him, but she had her friends. And Hawk Moth didn't know everything.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Rena Rouge turn to face the threat behind them, tapping on her flute as she did so. Ladybug turned to confront Hawk Moth and held her spinning yo-yo to one side while Cat Noir crouched on her other side, staff in a low ready position.

Then a shimmer of light appeared on the far left side of the room. The slight swirled into a vortex and opened up from the center. Ladybug saw sunlight through the hole, which was obscured as Queen Bee stepped through, top spinning in front of her, followed by Pegasus and Viperion.

Behind where Hawk Moth and Mayura stood, the large glass window near the ceiling shattered in a cascade of glass as, with a bellowing roar, Taureau Dechaine barreled through the window. He twisted around in midair to land on his hands and knees and pushed himself up as Carapace and King Monkey landed beside him. Carapace stepped in front of his companions and held up his shield, eyes narrowing as he nodded across the room to Ladybug.

Ladybug acknowledged the others and turned her attention back to Hawk Moth, who was looking at the new heroes appraisingly. Then Hawk Moth turned to face Cat Noir and said, "Well, Adrien, my son, I see you have all your friends with you."

Hawk Moth raised his arms to either side, and a massive swarm of Akumas rose into the air, swirling around him in a vortex and flying en masse through the gaping hole in the window.

"Unfortunately for you, so have I."


	6. Chapter 6

_To VoodooClown17, Rose Tiger, and The Keeper of Worlds: This chapter is the halfway point for the story as far as number of chapters (5 before, 5 after), and only the last chapter is the aftermath of the fight. So… there's a _lot_ of fight here! I certainly hope this lives up to expectations!_

* * *

_Father certainly planned all of his moves carefully_, Cat Noir had to admit, scanning the room. Although the appearance of the other heroes had surprised his father, Ladybug's plan had only bought them a few moments' reprieve. As the lighting in the room adjusted and Cat Noir could see the full room, he realized that Hawk Moth must have been planning this for a while, to have so many Akumatized people already present. He, Ladybug, and Rena Rouge were surrounded on all sides.

"It doesn't matter how many of your slaves you bring, Father," he shouted, forcing his voice to sound confident, to hide the fear that was starting to grow in his chest at the odds they were facing. "My friends can handle anything you throw at us!"

"We shall see, son." Hawk Moth pointed his cane at Cat Noir, and the mob of enemies charged.

Cat Noir tensed as the Akumatized people approached. Behind him he sensed Rena Rouge and Ladybug also tensing up. "Cataclysm!" he shouted, holding his ring to his staff as he did so. The staff hummed in his hand as the Cataclysm resonated with it. "Ready?" he whispered to his partners. Without waiting for a response he shouted, "Now!" dropping to one knee and slamming the tip of his staff to the ground as did so.

The concussive force of the Cataclysm rippled outward through the tiled floor in a massive wave, sending everyone in its path stumbling to the floor, leaving Cat Noir alone at the epicenter of the maelstrom he had created. Out of the corner of his eye, Cat Noir saw Ladybug and Rena Rouge, still in midair from having jumped when he shouted. Ladybug swung her yo-yo out, knocking the Mime's hat off and releasing its Akuma. On its way back to her hand, the yo-yo struck Simon Says, breaking apart his playing cards. Ladybug caught and purified both Akumas simultaneously.

Rena Rouge had landed on Gigantitan and slapped the pacifier out of his mouth. Cat Noir hit the button on his staff to extend it, catching the pacifier through its handle. He grabbed it with both hands and broke it in half to release the Akuma. By that time Rena Rouge had already moved on to the enormous sentimonster puppy that Gigantitan had been riding.

Across the room, the rest of their friends appeared to be faring as well as he, Ladybug, and Rena Rouge were. Pegasus and Taureau Dechaine had disappeared from the fight in order to de-transform, feed their Kwamis, and reenter the fight. Unfortunately, the number of Akumatized victims confronting them was not going down at all; if anything, it was increasing as more and more Akumas found victims outside the mansion and those victims leapt through the shattered window to join the fray.

"Taureau!" Carapace shouted on the other side of the room as Taureau Dechaine reappeared. "Get over to Viperion and give Queen Bee some breathing room!" Carapace sidestepped a sentimonster, held up his shield to deflect a sword thrust from Oni-Chan, then shifted the shield slightly, allowing the sword to slide off the shield to his strong side. As Oni-Chan's sword passed, he grabbed it with his free hand, lifted the arm holding his shield, and brought the shield rim down hard, snapping the sword in half and releasing the Akuma. He stabbed the broken sword blade into a sentimonster's face, causing it to fall to the ground in a puff of powder.

Cat Noir's attention was pulled away from the fighting on the other side of the room as the enemies surrounding him started to stir. He had to get away to feed Plagg in a couple minutes, but he couldn't leave Ladybug and Rena Rouge on their own against this horde. He twirled his staff in front of himself and lashed out in all directions. He dove to the side to avoid an epee swinging for his head and leapt up in time to meet Darkblade's sword with his staff. The two dueled furiously as Cat Noir fought to subdue his fencing instructor and release his Akuma. Finally, he sidestepped a lunge, grabbed the sword out of Darkblade's hand, and snapped it in two over his knee. As the Akuma was released he became aware that his ring was beeping insistently.

Ladybug was at his side. "You'd better get moving, Cat," she told him, deflecting a laser beam away from him with her yo-yo and gesturing to his ring.

"Thanks, Bugaboo," he said, grinning at her and using his staff to vault over the heads of the mob surrounding them. He found a perch on a ledge and crouched down to de-transform.

"Some party you've got going on down there," Plagg observed, grabbing the camembert Adrien held out and stuffing it in his mouth hungrily.

"Yeah, and it doesn't look like it's going to be ending any time soon," Adrien grumbled, watching King Monkey throw a grapefruit at Zombizou, releasing Pegasus from her control. "I wish we knew what he was using to enhance his powers like this."

"Can't help ya there, kid." Plagg shrugged, glancing around the room dispassionately.

Queen Bee landed on the ledge next to Adrien, de-transformed, and collapsed against the cave wall. Chloe reached into her bag, tossed a cookie to Pollen, and then pulled out a pair of water bottles and offered one to Adrien. He accepted it gratefully and emptied it in one long swig.

"Thanks," he said, tossing the empty bottle over the side and sending it caroming off the head of a sentimonster lion that had cornered Pegasus. Pegasus opened a portal behind himself and jumped backward through it. The portal closed when the lion's head was through, leaving the rest of its body behind to turn to dust.

"There are just too many of them," Chloe said in frustration, slamming a hand on the floor before re-transforming.

"We need to find his enhancer," Adrien told her, scanning the floor. "Spread the word."

As Queen Bee nodded, Adrien glanced at Plagg, who sighed in resignation. Adrien transformed and leapt from the ledge, pushing away from the wall as he did so to angle himself toward where Ladybug and King Monkey were fighting a quartet of sentimonsters. As he landed on the back of a snowman, Cat Noir slammed his staff down, extending one end to spear the snowman from head to foot. The snowman burst apart in a puff of smoke as the staff reached the ground, and Cat Noir shortened its length, continuing his trajectory and bringing his feet forward. He kicked a spaghetti monster hard in the back and felt his feet pass straight through it. He pulled up his staff and held it straight behind himself to follow his path through the monster's torso. His momentum carried him all the way through the monster, which collapsed to the ground and turned to dust as Cat Noir landed on his feet in front of Ladybug.

"Thanks, Kitty," she said, giving him a one-armed hug.

"What he said when we arrived," King Monkey began, looking at Cat Noir with a confused expression on his face. "He is…? And you are…?"

"Later, KM," Cat Noir replied shortly. "Right now we need to find whatever's letting him Akumatize so many people."

"It has to be Catalysto," Ladybug said, leaping over the Animan-leopard, pushing his face into the ground, and tearing the bracelet off his front paw.

"From your description, she isn't anywhere on the ground," Cat Noir commented, balancing himself on his staff and extending it 20 feet into the air to look over the heads of the villains surrounding them.

"What about up there?" asked King Monkey, pointing to the ledges jutting out from the cave wall above their heads.

Ladybug waved to Carapace and Rena Rouge on the other side of the cave and pointed at the ground around them. Carapace nodded before returning to his fight against Guitar Villain. "Come on," Ladybug said, throwing her yo-yo to catch around an outcropping and swinging herself up. Cat Noir glanced over at King Monkey before the two of them followed her.

Cat Noir landed on the ledge next to Ladybug a moment before King Monkey. The three of them started scanning the cave ledges cut into the walls on their level. Ladybug jumped over to the next ledge, and Cat Noir moved to a ledge in the opposite direction as the two of them slowly made their way from ledge to ledge, leaving King Monkey behind to de-transform.

Cat Noir had made it about halfway around the cave when he noticed movement in the recesses of a small depression carved into the rock. Looking closer, he could make out a woman in a pink-and-green business suit tapping away on a smartphone.

"Catalysto, I presume?" he said, signaling King Monkey, who began racing around the cave to Cat Noir's position.

"That's what Mr. Hawk Moth calls me!" The woman grinned happily. "I'm not sure why Mr. Agreste wanted me to put my office down here, or why he kept calling my every Facebook post atrocious, but things are certainly looking up for me now!"

"Yeah, I don't think so," Cat Noir answered, tensing. King Monkey was still a dozen ledges away, and Ladybug was on the opposite side of the cave.

"Oh?" Catalysto gave him a confused look.

Perhaps this was going to be easier than he'd thought. "I'm going to need to borrow that phone," he told her, reaching out a hand.

"What? No!" She pointed the phone at him and tapped the screen.

Cat Noir felt a gust of wind surround him and he fell to one knee. His arms felt weak. His chest heaved in a way it hadn't done since his father had broken his ribs. He couldn't pull in a full breath. He looked up at Catalysto, past watering eyes, and whispered, "Cataclysm." Nothing happened. Apparently this time she could also take powers away, not just enhance them.

"No!" He heard a shout from behind him and turned to see King Monkey on the next ledge over.

"Stay back!" Cat Noir called, holding a hand out.

Already mid-jump, King Monkey shouted, "Uproar" and reached up to grab a mango that had just appeared in front of him. Before landing on Cat Noir's ledge, he pulled back and threw the mango over Cat Noir's crouched form, hitting Catalysto square in the chest.

Cat Noir felt the pressure on his chest ease and jumped up. "Thanks, KM," he said, giving King Monkey a high five.

"Don't mention it, man," King Monkey replied before the two of them charged into the cave, swinging their staffs from opposite directions to hit Catalysto in the chest.

Catalysto fell to the ground, the phone dropping from her grasp. Cat Noir slammed his staff down into the phone, shattering it and releasing the Akuma.

A yo-yo darted past Cat Noir's head and captured the Akuma. "Nice going, guys," a familiar voice said. He turned to see Ladybug standing at the edge of the ledge and grinning as she released the purified butterfly.

Cat Noir ran over to embrace her and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "You know what this means?" he asked her, cracking a smile.

"No more Akumas! No more sentimonsters!" Ladybug answered, grinning widely and wrapping her arms around his neck. "It's just Hawk Moth and Mayura left!"

Cat Noir let go of Ladybug and looked down from their ledge to see the room below filled with clouds of purple smoke, each of which faded to reveal a confused Akuma victim. Sentimonsters crumbled on all sides. However, Hawk Moth had already released another Akuma, which had attached itself to one of the victims standing closest to him. The distant figure was covered in a purple haze that shifted quickly into a streak of white and orange: Vulpina.

Looking around the room, Cat Noir could see that most of the heroes had left the fight or were busy helping victims. Carapace was using Shellter to protect a crowd from a patch of the ceiling that had broken off. Rena Rouge and Queen Bee were in a furious battle against Mayura and a sentimonster on the far side of the room near the shattered window. Taureau Dechaine, Viperion, and Pegasus were nowhere to be seen. Vulpina ran to join Mayura against the two heroes, even as Hawk Moth raced in the opposite direction, toward the doors.

Cat Noir was torn between helping the others and stopping his father. Then he noticed a light-green streak running across the room to meet Vulpina. Viperion was back. Cat Noir was about to leap down and join him when Viperion activated his miraculous and immediately looked straight up at Cat Noir. "I've got her! Get Hawk Moth!"

Without a second's delay, Cat Noir grabbed Ladybug's hand and the two of them raced across the ledges to follow Hawk Moth. Behind them, Cat Noir heard King Monkey shout, "Yeah, okay, you go. I'll take care of this one."

Timing his jump and estimating distances in his head, Cat Noir leapt from the ledge and extended his staff, using it like a pole-vaulter to drop him right in front of the big doors. Behind him, Ladybug looped her yo-yo around an outcropping above the door and swung down beside him. They landed at almost the same moment and raced full-tilt through the door after the disappearing figure of Hawk Moth.


	7. Chapter 7

_To VoodooClown17: I hate to break it to you, but I really enjoy using cliffhangers…_

_To The Keeper of Worlds: Glad this fight lives up to expectations. We will see where we go from here with Hawk Moth…_

* * *

Cat Noir contracted his staff down to baton-length and threw it at Hawk Moth's feet. Beside him, Ladybug swung her yo-yo and launched it forward, looking to wrap it around Hawk Moth's chest. Hawk Moth, however, as if sensing their attack, jumped to avoid the baton, spinning around and swinging his cane as he did so. He struck Ladybug's yo-yo with the cane, sending it caroming away. Ladybug flicked her wrist, summoning the yo-yo back to her hand.

Cat Noir raced to the side and reached out a hand, grabbing his baton out of midair where it had ricocheted off the ground. In the same motion he extended it back to normal size, slammed the tip into the ground, and vaulted into the air, twisting his body to point his feet at Hawk Moth as he did so. From the corner of his eye he saw Ladybug sliding feet first to Hawk Moth's opposite side.

Hawk Moth had seen their attack coming, however. "You'll have to do better than that, son!" He ducked under Cat Noir's feet, allowing him to fly harmlessly over his head. Then he reached down, grabbed one of Ladybug's legs, and used it to lift her into the air and swing her around. He released her leg and sent her sailing into Cat Noir, who groaned as he pushed her off of him.

"Sorry, Kitty," she whispered, reaching down to massage her thigh.

He followed the motion and grinned, earning himself an amused eye roll.

"Focus, Cat," she chided him, pushing herself to her feet and reaching down to help him up.

"Sorry, Milady," he purred, winking at her. "Let's stop my crazy father, _then_ I can fantasize about your purr-fect thighs!" Despite the lighthearted banter, he kept an eye on Hawk Moth as he said it, raising his staff defensively and stepping forward to put himself in front of Ladybug.

Ladybug giggled and blushed before putting a hand on his shoulder and crouching next to him. They started moving in opposite directions and circling around Hawk Moth. Hawk Moth looked between them before charging Cat Noir, cane raised in front of his chest.

"You may think you've become a man, son," Hawk Moth shouted, "but I'm still your father and you _will_ obey me!"

"I don't think so, Father," Cat Noir retorted. "You don't control me any longer!"

Cat Noir lifted his staff to parry the thrust from Hawk Moth while Ladybug threw her yo-yo at Hawk Moth's back. Hawk Moth turned his body so the yo-yo sailed past him, and kicked out, catching Ladybug in the gut. She doubled over, gasping, as Cat Noir slashed at Hawk Moth's head with his staff. Hawk Moth caught the blow on his cane, following up the block with a quick jab to the head that Cat Noir ducked below. Hawk Moth used the space the move created to advance on Ladybug, who had fallen to her knees. Hawk Moth lifted his cane in both hands above Ladybug to stab her through the back.

"You will not stop me from reaching my goal, foolish girl!"

As the cane came down, Cat Noir shouted, "Milady! No!" He lunged forward, deflecting the cane with his staff so it struck the ground harmlessly to Ladybug's side. In the same motion he pushed Hawk Moth away with his shoulder and spun to face him. He dropped into a crouch protectively in front of Ladybug and held his staff out defensively. "You will not hurt my Ladybug!" he shouted, narrowing his eyes and baring his teeth.

Hawk Moth caught himself with his hand and looked up at Cat Noir ferociously. Cat Noir charged Hawk Moth, brandishing the staff and swinging it with both hands at Hawk Moth's head. As Hawk Moth raised his cane to block the staff, Cat Noir quickly evaded the cane, juked, and struck Hawk Moth in the chest on the opposite side, sending him reeling back several steps.

Ladybug ran in front of Cat Noir and threw her yo-yo to wrap it around Hawk Moth's arms, but Hawk Moth deflected it to the side. She pulled the yo-yo back and swung it in a shield in front of herself and Cat Noir as Hawk Moth charged straight at her.

When Hawk Moth was less than ten steps from Ladybug, Cat Noir took a running start and jumped over both Ladybug and her spinning yo-yo, pulling back his staff. At the peak of his jump, he swung the staff right at Hawk Moth's head. Hawk Moth only barely managed to block the attack with his cane, and Cat Noir used the force of the block to spin around in midair and land behind Hawk Moth, staff held up in front of himself.

"Impressive, son," Hawk Moth finally said, turning slightly to give Cat Noir an appraising look before charging him and punching him in the gut. "But not quite impressive enough."

Cat Noir felt all the air leave his lungs at once. _At least this time he _didn't_ break ribs_, he thought, grimacing. He fell to his hands and knees and gasped, forcing the air back into his lungs. He looked up to find that Hawk Moth had already disappeared, chased by Ladybug. However, Hawk Moth wasn't running for the elevator and escape.

"Milady," Cat Noir shouted, "he's trying to get us into that grotto with the glass cylinder!" Whatever was in that thing, it couldn't be good. Terrible scenarios flooded through his mind of what that cylinder could contain, of what could happen to Ladybug if Hawk Moth got her alone. Terrified, Cat Noir pulled himself to his feet and raced after them, willing his legs faster so he could overtake Ladybug before Hawk Moth could pull another trick on them.

Cat Noir stopped next to Ladybug a moment after Hawk Moth turned in front of the glass cylinder to face them. Hawk Moth held his cane in front of himself, a ferocious look in his eyes.

Cat Noir returned the look, mirroring his father's position with his own staff. Without a word, he and Ladybug charged together, racing around either side of the cylinder and trapping Hawk Moth between them. Cat Noir flashed out his staff, aiming for Hawk Moth's feet, at the same time that Ladybug leapt at Hawk Moth's chest.

Hawk Moth held up his cane in both hands to catch Ladybug's tackle, but Ladybug grabbed onto the cane and allowed her momentum to pull her up and over Hawk Moth's head. Pulled off balance by the move, Hawk Moth stumbled backwards, tripping on the staff that Cat Noir held at an angle between his legs. His grip on the cane loosened fractionally, allowing Ladybug to wrench it out of his hands. She threw the cane across to the other side of the grotto, beyond the glass cylinder.

Hawk Moth fell down, slamming his back into the ground. Cat Noir ran over to where he lay and brandished his cane, pointing the tip straight at Hawk Moth's face, inches above his nose. Ladybug pulled herself up off the ground and came over to stand at Cat Noir's shoulder, yo-yo at the ready.

"You're beaten, Father," Cat Noir ground out, spitting out the last word in disgust. "All your minions have been freed. Mayura's fighting a losing battle against our friends. Your plan failed. After all of this, you lose. So what do you have to say for yourself?"

Hawk Moth looked straight at Cat Noir, past the staff tip, and asked, "Have you ever wondered why I did all this? Why I need your miraculous?"

Cat Noir furrowed his brow. _What's his game?_ "Of course I've wondered, Father. How could I not, when you have been putting my friends and me in danger for 2 years with this terrible crusade!"

"I did all of this for my family. Look!" Hawk Moth gestured toward the cylinder, and Cat Noir turned away from him. Cat Noir walked over to the cylinder, followed by Ladybug. Taking advantage of their distraction, Hawk Moth pushed himself up and ran to retrieve his cane.

Cat Noir's breath caught in his throat as he recognized the face inside the chamber, its eyes closed and face peaceful. His own eyes went wide with shock. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Beside him, Ladybug gasped as she also recognized the face.

"_Mother_?"


	8. Chapter 8

_To VoodooClown17: I'm not sure which category you would put the eventual conclusion of this conflict into; I don't think it fits narrowly into either. Hopefully you'll still like it when it happens tomorrow, anyways!_

_To Zhenxuan20002: Thank you! I wouldn't exactly call it totally separate from canon; I would call it "Canon Divergent post-'The Puppeteer 2.'" Everything before that point also happened in this story; anything in the second half of season 3 did not happen._

* * *

Hawk Moth looked straight at Cat Noir – _his son_, he reminded himself – willing him to understand. He would not look at Ladybug, standing next to his son and looking confused. She would never understand why he had done what he had done, why he _had_ to do this. All he could do was explain to his son, and hope that he would accept it – would help him, now that he was so close to his goal, that the miraculous were less than 10 feet away from him, only separated him from him by the very reason he needed them so badly.

* * *

Adrien, your mother was the love of my life. We met in college. I was studying to become a designer, while she was studying film, attempting to break into acting. She agreed to model some of my designs for a student fashion show during our first term. Well, seeing her wearing my designs, how perfectly they formed to her body, I wanted nothing more than for her to be my muse for the rest of our lives. The rest, as they say, is history.

She did not tell me her secret until years later, not after we had dated for the entirety of our college years, not even once we were engaged. Oh, I had always suspected that she led some secret double life. One time we were at dinner when she suddenly excused herself and ran to the bathroom for 15 minutes. There was a news report the next day about an attempted rape in which the would-be rapist had been beaten unconscious by a famous American professional wrestler who'd been in a televised bout in Japan at that very moment. Another time she was 15 minutes late to a fashion show with no warning. While I was searching for her, a mermaid rescued a school bus that had gone off the road into the Seine. There were other things, little things, that just didn't seem to add up. But I never connected those fantastical news headlines to your mother's strange disappearances or her strange behavior.

I never suspected her of infidelity, of course; I trusted her completely, and anyways I was far too much in love for that. But what was her secret? And why did she refuse to tell me, every time I asked?

It wasn't until our wedding night that she finally revealed her family legacy to me. _Your_ family legacy, son. As she removed her wedding dress, she fingered her beloved peacock-fan brooch pensively. I had known about it for years, wondered why she refused to take it off, even to sleep, why she would wear it with every article of clothing she modeled – even when it would clash horribly. The only concession she would ever make was to hide it in her bra, and that only because I pleaded with her that it would ruin the outfit she was modeling. Whenever I had asked her about that brooch before, she had just said that it was a valuable family heirloom and changed the subject.

Finally, on our wedding night, she let me look at it more closely, sighed, and said, "Duusu, you can come out now. It's time." And to my astonishment, a tiny blue creature flew out of your mother's purse and greeted me by name! Emilie laughed gently at the expression on my face, smiled shyly, and said, "Since you _are_ my family now, I can finally tell you my family's secret.

"One of my ancestors brought this brooch back with her from China. She was a world-renowned explorer, famous as the first European woman to summit all of the tallest mountains in Asia. One night, while backpacking alone through Tibet, she became lost in a blizzard. She thought that she was done for, wrapped herself in her bedroll, and waited for the end to come. However, she awoke under warm blankets on a soft bed in a stone room with a blazing fire in the grate. A Chinese boy on the verge of adulthood sat by her bed and held steaming broth to her lips for her to drink. The boy said that he was an acolyte in the Order of the Guardians of the Miraculous, a secret group dedicated to protecting things called 'miraculous,' ancient objects of incredible power which preserve order and balance in the universe.

"Once her strength had returned, she was brought before the Guardians' Council, who were irate with the acolyte for having broken their laws by bringing an outsider into their Temple. The acolyte pleaded with them on her behalf. Finally they demanded her oath to keep their existence and location secret. She gave the oath, and then begged to join their order. They reluctantly agreed to admit her as an initiate. It took many years of training and study, but at last she was inducted as a full Guardian, the first European in centuries accorded that honor.

"Years passed, and she and her rescuer became close friends. Perhaps closer, even. However, she never forgot about her parents and siblings back in France. Often she wondered what they thought had become of her, whether they missed her, whether they had searched for her or given her up for lost. In the end, overwhelmed by homesickness, she requested permission to visit her family in France, promising to return within a year. Before permission could be granted, while the Council was still deliberating, there was an attack on the Temple.

"She never saw who or what the attacker was. The Temple was engulfed in flames. The other Guardians were running around in a panic. The Council chamber had been destroyed. Guardians, acolytes, and initiates – her friends – were dying on all sides. She was in a training room at the time, studying 2 miraculous with the Guardians' Book of the Miraculous. Without knowing what else to do, she grabbed the only things she could salvage from the destruction: this brooch, which is called the peafowl miraculous; another brooch called the butterfly miraculous; and the Book of the Miraculous she had been reading. Combining the powers of the two miraculous, she created a champion to help her escape from the Temple. When she looked back, she saw nothing but smoke and flames coming from the temple site. Fallen masonry, towers, and buildings all engulfed in smoke. No sign of her friend, any of the other Guardians, or any other miraculous. With nothing else to do, she returned to her family in France, vowing to continue and preserve the legacy of the Guardians, as well as guard the two surviving miraculous, on her own. She married and started a family, and when it was time she passed the miraculous to her oldest child, my great grandfather."

Of course I was in shock. "So this explains all of your mysterious absences? The times I've looked for you and you were nowhere to be found?" I asked her, wide-eyed.

She nodded. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you before now; my mother swore me to secrecy when she gave me guardianship of the miraculous."

"And all those unusual things that have happened while you were missing?"

"That was me," she answered, blushing a delicate shade of pink. "I chose to wear this miraculous when I became the Guardian, to become La Paonne, to help people. With the miraculous I grant someone the ability to summon a creature to fight for them, to protect them when they are in trouble."

I couldn't believe it: I had just married a secret superhero! When we returned to our new apartment after our honeymoon, she showed me the butterfly miraculous and the book, hidden away in the closet inside an ornate wooden chest. I was fascinated by the lines and shapes and colors I found inside the book. I felt compelled to incorporate some of what I saw into my designs. I even took the butterfly miraculous as my "signature," working its shape into every article of clothing I designed – even into the house we eventually built together. Oh, I never _used_ it – I never even _touched_ it; the miraculous were your mother's realm, though being La Paonne became more of a hobby as our careers took off – even if she still refused to be parted from the brooch or Duusu for more than a few moments at a time.

After your birth, your mother dedicated herself to keeping you safe, even using the miraculous to do so. I wonder that you don't remember your "imaginary friend," "Monsieur Singe." I'm sure you thought he was just pretend, but he was very real. Your mother used an Amok to create him as a constant guardian who stayed with you, off and on, until you turned 5. Once, a disgruntled model tried to kidnap you from a photo shoot, and Monsieur Singe nearly bit his finger off to protect you.

I suppose life could have gone on this way forever, had it not been for the rumor your mother heard while filming _Solitude_. You see, one of the cameramen was a mountaineering enthusiast and had just returned from a trip to China. He had heard a rumor about some strange disappearances in Tibet, about a glow that some travelers claimed to have seen around an old ruined castle.

On hearing that rumor, Emilie immediately ran to find me in her trailer. "They found the Temple of the Guardians!" she squealed, breathless. "There's a ruin, and it's in the right place, and there's something happening there! I _need_ to go see it!"

I wasn't quite as excited as she was. "Wasn't the temple destroyed?" I asked, skeptical. "What if whatever did it is still there? It could be dangerous. And we have our son to think about."

"I don't care if it's dangerous," she declared. "I'll be careful. But this is my family's _legacy_ that we're talking about here. Our _son_'s legacy. I _need_ to do this. I need to know."

Well, I'm sure you remember how your mother could get. She was so strong-willed, something I realize you've inherited: When she got something in her mind, nothing I said or did could dissuade her. She was going to Tibet, and there was no way I could have stopped her. All I could do was go along with it.

I sighed, threw up my hands, and told her, "Okay, but if we do this, we have to do it right. We'll have to do our research, bring guides…"

She gave me a look of pure adoration and threw her arms around my neck. "You mean you understand? You're coming? Oh, Gabriel! I adore you!"

It took months after the movie wrapped to plan the expedition. Your mother elected to leave the butterfly miraculous and the book at home, afraid that something could happen to them on the journey, but chose to bring Duusu and her beloved peafowl miraculous with her, in case there was danger. We were both loathe to leave you behind, to be parted from you for so long, when we had no idea how long the absence would last, but we both knew that this would be a dangerous expedition – no place for a child. So we left you here with Nathalie while we went to China, traveled to Tibet, and met our guide. The guide brought us to the foot of the mountain, but refused to bring us up to the ruin, fearing the rumors.

We climbed alone, and found the Temple exactly as it had been described: a ruin, set against a cliff edge. All was in ruins, with evidence abounding that we were the first humans to set foot there in well over a century. And yet, I could tell by the sheer _size_ of the place that this Order of the Guardians must have been incredible before its destruction. So many rooms! The outer wall was probably 20 meters tall! Towers that would have dwarfed the Eiffel Tower! The central keep could have fit _two_ of our mansion! And yet, that keep looked like it had been blown apart from the inside. The towers had fallen over like chess pieces. Shattered masonry and stones littered the mountain in all directions – we had followed a trail of the debris all the way to the site from the base camp at the foot of the mountain. Of course your mother was in heaven, hunting through the ruin, turning over every stone, searching for any clue about the people who had lived there, about the fate of the other miraculous described in her book.

Duusu was uneasy, however. She had last been at the Temple with your mother's ancestor, at the downfall of the Guardians. She was afraid that the monster which destroyed the Guardians could return. Despite my earlier fears, I found myself scoffing at the notion. The ruin was deserted. Whatever had happened, it had happened 160 years ago; how could that "monster" still be around today?

Alas, I should have listened to the Kwami.

It happened while Emilie was examining a broken mosaic in the floor of the keep. The mosaic began stirring and swirling before cracking in half and splitting apart. I grabbed Emilie's hand and pulled her back in the nick of time, away from the suddenly-opening chasm. Then, a big, midnight-black _something_ emerged from the depths. Eyes of burning fire. Gaping maw. Razor-sharp talons. Sensing Duusu hovering on the opposite side of the chasm, it lunged for her. Duusu screamed, flapping away feebly, as the jaws began to close around her.

Emilie shouted her transformation phrase without a moment to spare, and Duusu was sucked out of the creature's maw and into the miraculous a moment before she would have been swallowed up. Emilie pulled a feather from her fan, charged it, and touched it to my mountaineer's pick. At a loss for what to do, I concentrated on the first thing to come to mind: a yeti. A large purple yeti appeared between us and the monster. It bellowed out a roar and charged the monster, wrapping its massive arms around the monster's chest, pinning its arms tight as it bit into the monster's neck. The monster opened its mouth, and a stream of fire came out, engulfing the yeti, burning away all of its fur.

I grabbed your mother's hand and we ran for it, the monsters' screams echoing off the mountains behind us. We were running at full speed, over rocky terrain, dodging pieces of wreckage as we went. Near the edge of the cliff, I stumbled over a stone that had broken off the wall. In trying to catch my balance, I lost hold of my pick and it fell over the side. A couple minutes later, we heard the monster bellow in triumph as the pick broke against the rocks at the bottom of the cliff. Looking back, the yeti had vanished and the monster was once again hot on our tail. Your mother screamed as the monster drew closer.

I didn't see how it happened. One minute we were holding hands and running; the next minute her hand was wrenched out of mine as the monster picked her up in its mouth and threw her. She landed with a sickening crunch between two boulders. The monster approached her, but it was as though a force field emanating from those rocks held it at bay. I didn't have a miraculous, so it paid me little heed; it eventually tired and returned to the ruin. I went to check on Emilie, but she was gone.

She wasn't dead, thank God. But on top of the injuries she'd sustained in the fall she was in a coma. As I went to remove her miraculous and see to her injuries, I discovered that a fragment had broken off when she fell. On the mountain I couldn't revive her, but I wouldn't leave her. It took days for me to work my way down to the base camp, carrying your mother or dragging her on a makeshift litter, careful not to jostle any of the bones she had broken in the fall. The best of modern medicine healed her injuries, but it could do nothing to wake her, so I turned to other means.

The Book of the Miraculous held my answer, though encoded. Your mother's ancestor hadn't known the full code yet when she fled the Temple, but she knew some. And her descendants had studied the book for years, adding to the family's understanding of the code. Emilie had not taught me much of it, but I was able to decipher just enough. On the page describing the ladybug miraculous, I read that if I could combine it with the cat miraculous, the union of the two most powerful miraculous, the yin and yang, would grant me one wish. I could bring your mother back. Her family's legacy – the legacy that you were to inherit – would prove to be her salvation.

And that is why you must grant me the power of your two miraculous, son: to bring your mother out of this coma.


	9. Chapter 9

_AN: Without spoiling anything, I should probably include a trigger warning for this chapter. As I revised it, I realized that it took on some _serious_ spousal/intimate partner abuse undertones. I toned it down as much as I could, but couldn't get rid of it entirely. The next chapter resolves this new conflict, and hopefully does so in a positive manner._

_To Zhenxuan20002: Amelie and Felix don't really show up in this story since I still haven't seen Season 3b (I know it's available on YouTube, but I'm waiting until it's on Netflix for some reason). The way I see it going, however, is that the firstborn child would inherit the "Guardianship" of both miraculous and the book, and any younger children would know relatively-little about them. Hence after Emilie's accident, Gabriel "inherits" the book and miraculous ("to safeguard for Adrien, of course…"), rather than Emilie's family taking them back._

_To Rose Tiger: But what could those consequences be? And how many of those present understand what that means?_

_To VoodooClown17: You'll probably be saying that a whole lot more after this chapter…_

_To The Keeper of Worlds: We will see what happens very quickly here… I hadn't thought about Hawk Moth Akumatizing himself while transformed. The only time he Akumatized himself, he detransformed and renounced the miraculous first._

* * *

As Hawk Moth's story had progressed, Ladybug had felt her jaw dropping open further and further. It was all so unbelievable: Adrien's mother had been descended from a Guardian? Had been a Guardian herself? Had even been a heroic miraculous holder? Master Fu had told her about the destruction of the Temple of the Guardians, that it had been his mistake, that his friend had been responsible. Even if the stories didn't exactly line up, there was still enough commonality to make her wonder. What if Adrien's ancestor _was_ a Guardian and preserved the book and the two miraculous from the Temple's destruction, and then her descendants had used the miraculous from the shadows for good, all these years? That would make him as much entitled to become a Guardian of the Miraculous as she was, perhaps even more so.

Beside her, Ladybug could see the shock on Cat Noir's face. Seeing his mother entombed in what she now realized was a cryogenic chamber had thrown him off his game; this constant cascade of bombshell revelations about her – about his own family and legacy – must have been overwhelming for him. Looking into his eyes as the story finished, she could see that he had been left unmanned. He was adrift. He swayed ever so slightly on his feet.

"My… my mother?" he whispered, wide eyes darting down to rest on the face inside the coffin. "The rumors of La Paonne… that was her?"

Hawk Moth nodded. Ladybug was disconcerted to see the corners of his lips beginning to curl. Her partner, her friend, her boyfriend, the love of her life… was his father trying to manipulate him? Playing mind games with him? Yet again? But enough of the story rang true. And the proof of Hawk Moth's ultimate purpose was sitting between them in the coffin! He had done it all for love; what would _she_ not do for love? What would _she_ not do for Adrien?

Cat Noir's mouth was still moving. His staff hung limply at his side. She wanted to say something, to reassure him, but nothing would come out. She felt as though she was intruding on this private moment between father and son. A part of her felt that it was not her place to tell Adrien what to do, that as the holder of the cat miraculous and son of both Hawk Moth _and_ Hawk Moth's ultimate objective, it was _his_ decision to make. But what would Adrien do with this information? What would _she_ do if the roles were reversed, if she had on her finger the tools necessary to bring back her vanished mother?

Or half the tools necessary.

As though he had read her thoughts, Cat Noir turned toward her, his hand drifting to the ring on his finger. "Ladybug…" he began, the expression on his face a turmoil of elation, hope, and pain. His internal conflict was written into every crease on his forehead. "My mother… I-I can save my mother!"

"Adrien…" she breathed back, still unsure of what she could say. "It's unbelievable."

"I knew he had some greater purpose for what he was doing!" Cat Noir said triumphantly, eyes shining. "I knew he wouldn't have put all of Paris in danger – put _me_ in danger! – if he didn't have some reason for his actions! And he did! He was trying to bring my mother back!"

"It's-it's beyond belief," Ladybug stammered. She finally moved, putting her hand on his shoulder and squeezing. "I-I don't know what to say, what to do, Kitty."

He turned to look at her, an indecipherable expression on his face. "And all he needs to do it is our miraculous. And then my family will be whole again."

Ladybug's stomach plummeted to her feet. It sounded like he was buying into his father's plan, like he would hand over his miraculous. She took a couple steps back, releasing his shoulder as she did so. He took a step towards her.

"Adrien," she said, putting a hand up, "what are you doing? What are you thinking?"

"I-It-If… If we just let him _borrow_ the miraculous to heal my mother, what's the harm in that?" he asked. "That wouldn't be altering the fabric of reality. That wouldn't be making himself ruler of the universe or anything like that! This isn't a _big_ thing; it's just a little thing. The universe can allow me that much, right?"

"All I want is my wife back," Hawk Moth called, gesturing toward the coffin. "After? I'll happily hand over all the miraculous and let you go back to your superheroing."

Ladybug glared at Hawk Moth as she continued to back away. "Even still," she told Cat Noir. "We promised. We swore an oath to protect the miraculous, to prevent them from ever falling into the wrong hands, to never allow them to be used for evil!"

"But this is different," Cat Noir insisted, fingering his ring. "We're doing this for my _mother_! She was a hero, too! Can't we, the heroes of Paris, help her? Would that really be evil?"

"No, Adrien! We can't!"

"Please, Ladybug, just let me have your miraculous. Let my father do this thing, and then we can go. It will be over. Everyone will win!" The anguish in his voice and on his face was clear. Tears were beginning to well in the corners of his eyes. "_Please_, Milady!"

"I'm sorry, Adrien. But I can't. I can't betray Master Fu. I can't betray Tikki." _I'm sorry, my love._

"I'm sorry, too," he said, crestfallen, turning away from her. Then he spun around, staff up and extending in her direction, whipping it straight at her face.

The blow caught her completely off-guard, striking her across the cheek and knocking her, spinning, to the side. She fell to the floor as a red welt grew hot on her cheek, pushing herself up to her hands and knees a moment after she landed. She felt hot tears stinging her cheeks. Had her Cat ever done that to her before? Had _Adrien_? To turn on her? Hit her? _Hurt_ her? He'd been affected by Akumatized people before that had turned him against her – he'd even tried to use Cataclysm on her once when Dark Cupid controlled him! – but he'd only ever been beside himself with shame and regret afterward when he had come to himself. And that was when his love for her had seemed unrequited. But this time was different. This time he _was_ himself, in complete control of himself. He knew how she felt about him, and he felt the same way. And yet he had turned on her. Her friend – one of her _best_ friends, the one she could always rely on, who had sworn over and over never to hurt her or let anyone else hurt her – _had_ hurt her.

Cat Noir leapt toward her, holding his staff above his head, and brought it down on her unprotected back. Pain blossomed through Ladybug's shoulders as the blow fell. Her arms gave out and she collapsed flat on her stomach. Cat Noir knelt on one knee beside her, putting his other knee on her back and pushing her down into the ground. "I'm sorry, Milady," he whispered, reaching for one of her earrings. "Please don't stop me."

His words spurred her to action. She swung her yo-yo away from herself at an angle and flicked her wrist, bringing it back to herself. Before it reached her, however, she lowered her hand and twisted it. The yo-yo flew past her hand, hitting Cat Noir in the wrist. He yelped in surprise and fell backward. The pressure on her back disappeared. Ladybug rolled over onto her back and swung her legs up, bringing herself to her feet in a kip. She held the yo-yo in front of herself, swinging it to form a shield between herself and her partner.

She could not let him get his hand on the miraculous. She could not let him deliver the miraculous to his father! She had to save him from himself. What would be the consequences otherwise? What if Hawk Moth had some deeper, ulterior motive for wanting the miraculous? And even if Hawk Moth _was_ true to his word and only used his wish to restore Emilie, what would the universe demand in return?

"_Please_ don't do this, Kitty!" Ladybug shouted as Cat Noir swung his staff. She adjusted the angle of her yo-yo's spin, and the staff glanced harmlessly off the spinning string. "I'm begging you! The universe requires balance, and the Kwamis and their miraculous serve that balance! Restoring your mother will have consequences!"

As the staff rebounded from the yo-yo shield, Cat Noir brought it around, beneath the swinging shield, taking advantage of the shield's higher angle. He swept across at the level of Ladybug's ankles, but she nimbly leapt over the staff. "I don't care," he shouted back. "This is my _mother_ we're talking about here!"

Ladybug held the yo-yo/shield to the side, between herself and the staff, and stepped in close to him. She kicked him in the gut, pushing him back away from her and creating distance between them. Cat Noir rubbed at his stomach and groaned, but she would not take advantage of his weakness to press the attack. He was still her friend – more than her friend! – and she could not hurt him. Even now, she cringed sympathetically at the wince of pain that crossed his features following the kick.

"Please, Adrien," she begged. She could feel her eyes starting to burn as tears threatened to fall once more. "Please! Think of the price! The universe demands balance. It won't give your mother back without taking something in return!"

Cat Noir grunted as he brought the staff up. He charged at her and swung his staff from an upward angle, spinning around and landing a punch to her back when she moved to counter. Ladybug grunted as the punch hit, feeling the muscles in her back starting to tighten up from the blow. He followed that punch up with a series of punches to her back, so fast that Ladybug couldn't find an opening to turn around and face him. She dove forward into a somersault, springing to her feet and twisting in midair at the end of the somersault. Even with all of that, he pressed the attack before she could catch her breath.

Ladybug brought up her yo-yo and spun it in front of herself furiously. Cat Noir held his staff pointing it at her and hit the control to extend it. The end of the staff hit the swirling red of her yo-yo shield and poked through. The string of the yo-yo wrapped around the staff, and Cat Noir yanked up, pulling the yo-yo out of her hands and sending it caroming across the floor.

"I don't care what the price is." Cat Noir gritted his teeth. He charged in close and rained punches on her head. She held up her hands on either side of her face to protect herself. "Whatever it is, I'll pay it if it means I never have to feel this loneliness again. You don't know what my life has been like without her!" He stopped his attack and threw his hands to the side in frustration.

"Then _tell_ me," Ladybug whispered, releasing her protective posture and putting one hand on his cheek.

"Your family is so _close_," he said, looking her in the eye. "Even as just a visitor, I could always tell just how much your parents love you, how much affection there is between them. My father's _never_ been like that. Only my mother ever really showed me that she loved me! The only other person to ever show me that kind of love and affection has been _you_ since we've been partners and friends. Even more than Nino, you as Ladybug, as my friend, and now as my girlfriend have given me that love. But now I know I can bring my mother back! Please, Milady! _Please_ give me back my mother!" The pleading in his voice was unmistakable, his hands spread in supplication and tears falling freely from his eyes.

Ladybug could feel her resolve weakening as she looked into his tear-filled eyes. But _no_. "The miraculous require balance!" she finally said, staring into his eyes past her own tears, willing him to understand. "If your father does this, _someone_ is going to go into a coma to replace her! Who does he care about more than anyone else? Nathalie? _You_?"

Cat Noir scoffed.

Ladybug caressed his cheek. "He wants his family whole again, so _you_ would be the price," she declared. "Your father would receive his wife back, but he would lose _you_, instead. Is that a price you're willing to pay?"

"What are you talking about, foolish girl?" Hawk Moth demanded.

Cat Noir's eyes widened. "I—"

"Well I don't _care_ if _you_ can pay that price, Adrien," Ladybug said passionately, raising her other hand to cup his face. "Because I _can't_. I can't lose you! I love you too much!" She pulled him close and kissed him on the lips. Fiercely, pouring every ounce of herself into it. She loved him. In spite of everything. In spite of the bruises she could feel forming on her cheek and on her back, she loved him. And there was nothing she wouldn't do for that love. Even if it meant saving the boy she loved from himself. She felt hot tears stinging her bruised cheek as they poured down, mingling with his. Her chest heaved as her body was wracked with sobs.

Cat Noir hesitantly returned the kiss, finally wrapping his arms around her.

"Adrien," she finally said when their lips broke apart. Her heart broke to see the anguish and conflict marring his handsome features, warring within the eyes she so loved to stare into. Her lip quivered as she continued. "I won't fight you. I love you. You know I would do absolutely anything for you. And I think you love me just as much as you love your mother. So if having your mother back is what you want, and the universe takes me in her place… I will accept that. _Not_ for him," she spat, glaring at Hawk Moth defiantly. "For you, _mon amour_."

Then Ladybug reached up, removed her earrings, and held them out to her partner.


	10. Chapter 10

_To Zhenxuan20002: I was a little worried that Cat's turn would come out of nowhere in the last chapter, so I'm glad you enjoyed it!_

_To VoodooClown17: :D_

_To The Keeper of Worlds: It did, indeed, just get real. This chapter is when we find out what Cat was thinking and how he reacts to what happened. The idea of self-Akumatizing while transformed as a "power-up" move sounds really interesting, but I'm not exactly sure how it would work. I've been trying to expand a bit on the powers of the Miraculous in these stories (the fox can see through illusions in addition to creating them, the cat and bee can both channel their powers through their weapons, combining the butterfly and peacock by Amoking oneself and Akumatizing the sentimonster…), so perhaps I will use this in a later story…_

_To Rose Tiger: The question I came into this story with was "What is Marinette willing to do for Adrien?" The first story answered the question of what he would do for her pretty decisively: he would go all samurai, know he's in a losing battle, and swear to take out as many of the b******s as he possibly could. But what would Marinette do? The answer is (at least for this story), that she would sacrifice her own life if it meant his happiness. So now what is he going to do with that knowledge?_

* * *

Cat Noir stood frozen in place, staring dumbly at the earrings in his hand. His mind swirled. He could not process the thoughts and emotions warring for dominance. Elation at the knowledge that his mother was still alive, that she could _return_ to him. Joy that he could be the one to bring her back. Confusion at what he had done, fighting against his partner. Thinking back to that fight made him feel numb. What had he done, to _agree_ with Hawk Moth? Had he betrayed himself? Had he betrayed Plagg? And yet, how could he _not_ want Hawk Moth's success, now that he knew what Hawk Moth's true plan was? Hawk Moth wanted nothing more than to bring his family back together – his! _Adrien_'s! Hadn't Adrien wanted nothing else, ever since his mother disappeared on that trip to Tibet? Hadn't he spent the last several years of his life trying desperately to win his father's attention and approval? And now he held in his hand the key to solving all of his problems: he would combine the miraculous and use his wish to restore his mother and break her coma. Then his family would be together again, and he would have earned his father's love! And then things could return to normal: his father would renounce his miraculous, Adrien could return the peafowl and butterfly miraculous to Master Fu, along with the Book, and he and Marinette could return to being carefree superheroes, rescuing Paris from nothing more exciting than automobile accidents once all the pesky butterflies and feathers stopped flying around.

He looked over at Marinette – his partner – in exhilaration that he was about to get his mother back, a wide grin spreading across his face. He hoped that she would be excited for him, that she would be happy for him since he was putting his family back together. What he saw, however, made the grin freeze and his blood run cold.

Marinette knelt on the grass, head bent forward, shoulders slumped, and her face in her hands. Her hands glistened from the tears falling freely from her eyes. Her body was wracked with sobs. He could hear her whispering, "Oh, Tikki, Tikki, I'm so sorry, I failed you," to herself, over and over. "Oh, Adrien." He started on hearing his own name, looking more closely at his partner's tearstained face. A long thin bruise was darkening along her cheek. He looked down at the staff he held limply in his hand. _Did _I_ do that?_ he thought dumbly, heart racing.

He could remember their fight, but only in a haze. He had been so overwhelmed by his father's story, by the revelation that his mother had been Paris's hero, long before he and his Lady had been. He had been unable to think of anything other than the sight of his mother, lying motionless, held in stasis by the cryogenic chamber and the miraculous-induced coma. The means to bring her out of the coma had been within his grasp, and he would have done anything in that moment to get her back. Even if it meant turning on his partner. Even if it meant betraying the girl he had sworn never to betray.

Even if it meant hurting the girl that he loved.

If only she had agreed, had willingly let him use her miraculous to bring his mother back. Then none of this would have happened. He wouldn't have hurt her. If Marinette had allowed him to borrow the earrings for a couple minutes, he would have returned them to her at the same time that he introduced her to his now-awakened mother. Marinette would love his mother: they were both kind and compassionate, always putting others ahead of themselves. Maybe Master Fu would repair the peafowl miraculous and his mother could even join them as La Paonne, supporting them from the shadows with Amoks! Certainly his mother's familial knowledge would help Master Fu rebuild the Order of the Guardians, would help Marinette when she succeeded Master Fu as the Guardian of the Miraculous.

Why wasn't Marinette happy for him?

"_The universe requires balance,"_ Marinette had once said. She'd repeated it several times during their fight. So that meant his wish would be balanced out somehow. If he received his mother back, then what would "balance" mean? Would the universe take away his father, replace one comatose parent with another? After everything that had happened, after he had terrorized the city as Hawk Moth, perhaps that would be the best outcome for his father, although in spite of everything Adrien would still miss him. But he didn't think the universe would see it that way. No, his relationship with his father was troubled at the best of times; the last month their relationship had been nonexistent. So who would the universe…?

"No…" he whispered, horrorstruck. His eyes went wide and his mouth fell open in shock as the realization hit him and he stared over at her. _Marinette_. She was his partner, one of his best friends – _the_ best friend, taking into account both their superhero and civilian lives over the last 2 years. The look she gave him whenever she arrived at Master Fu's dojo in the morning made his heart melt in a way that no one had ever done before. She was the girl he loved, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. It was certainly not the same as the way he loved his mother, but his love for Marinette – her love for him – was no less powerful, no less precious to him. If the universe demanded that the restoration of his mother be balanced out by taking a similar source of love and affection away from him, it would take Marinette.

And her miraculous lay in his hand, Tikki still inside and powering it because Marinette had removed her earrings while transformed. Marinette gave her miraculous to him willingly because she refused to continue fighting against him. She had known at once that if he used the combined miraculous to wish for his mother back, she would likely be the price the universe would demand of him, and even still she had handed her miraculous over to him. She would sacrifice her own life if it would make him happy. Because she was a hero. Because she loved him. _Because she trusts me._

_My God. What have I done?_

How could he sacrifice Marinette – the girl he loved – to restore his mother? Is that what his mother would want, for him to condemn the girl he loved to a miraculous-induced coma for the rest of her life, just so he could wake her from her own coma? She had been a superhero, one who sacrificed herself for others. She had taught him to do the same, to put the needs of others ahead of his own desires. She had taught him to respect girls, that if and when he met a girl he loved, he was to treat her like she was his princess and he was her knight. Doubtless she would not want to be woken up if the price was an innocent girl's life.

And with Marinette as the price, it was far too steep.

He had betrayed them, both of them – his mother, and Marinette. He had betrayed his mother's ideals. But he had done so much worse to Marinette. He had hit Marinette. He had _hurt_ Marinette. She had trusted him completely to have her back, and he had let her down in the worst way imaginable. The knight had slain his Princess. She still knelt on the grass, sobbing though her tears had run dry. But knowing his Lady as he did, he could see that she was not crying out of pain – physical pain, at least – from the injuries he had inflicted on her. She was weeping at his betrayal. He had shattered her, broken her in a way that no Akuma fight had ever done before. In a way that Hawk Moth's trap hadn't even done, because _he_ had saved her.

_What have I done?_

The traditional role of the Cat Noir, Master Fu had told him, was to protect his Ladybug as she completed her mission of preserving balance in the universe and preventing evil. And here he was, a traitor-Cat. He had betrayed his Ladybug, turned on her, and taken her miraculous for the express purpose of _altering_ the balance of the universe. He had failed his missions – that traditional one and the one he'd chosen for himself, to keep his Lady safe – in the worst conceivable way. What kind of Cat Noir did that make him? What kind of person?

Certainly not one worthy of his ring.

"Mi-My-M-Marinette," he whispered, hoarsely. Marinette did not take her face out of her hands, though she froze at the sound of his voice. "I-I'm so sorry, Ladybug," he said, lip quivering as he fought to hold back his own tears. "I don't know what I was thinking. I-I've betrayed you."

Marinette finally looked up at him, the look of utter despair on her face being slowly replaced by surprise. Her light makeup was smeared, with rivulets having been traced through it by the tears that had flown freely throughout their fight and its aftermath. One of her pigtails had come undone. Her Capri pants were stained by the grass on which she knelt. And yet, she had never looked more beautiful to him than at that moment as the sadness melted off her face and was replaced by hope.

Cat Noir resolutely pulled the ring off his finger and held both miraculous out to her. "Take them," Adrien told her, averting his gaze to the ground between them, his face burning with shame. "I don't deserve to be your Cat Noir anymore."

Marinette stood up, brushing off her shirt as she did so. She took a timid step toward him. "Adrien," she whispered softly, using the tone that he had come to love so much in the last month.

"No!" Hawk Moth shouted, leaping from his position beside the coffin, startling the two heroes out of their reverie. "Give me the miraculous! I must save my Emilie!"

Adrien froze. So wrapped up had he been in his own thoughts that his father's presence in the room had faded from his mind. Hawk Moth charged, hand out, reaching for the two miraculous that Adrien still held in his hand. Hawk Moth's hand found Adrien's, but Adrien had started to close his hand at the shout, and turned it away from his father's as he did so. The miraculous tumbled out and fell to the ground, the two earrings and ring all rolling away in opposite directions.

"No!" Hawk Moth screamed, racing after the ring.

Finally stirred to action, Adrien raced after his father, followed closely by Marinette. Hawk Moth dove after the ring, but Adrien leapt after him in a flying tackle, catching him around the legs. Hawk Moth fell to the ground with a thump, hand reaching out for the ring that was still a couple meters out of his reach.

Hawk Moth immediately bucked his legs out of Adrien's grip before kicking back with them roughly. He caught Adrien in the face and knocked him backward. Hawk Moth leapt up and spun around to face him. Adrien landed on his side, felt his lip burst, and tasted blood filling his mouth. Spitting it out, he sprang to his feet and raised his fists to fend off the attack he knew was coming.

Marinette, however, had arrived first. Racing past Adrien, she charged headlong at Hawk Moth. As Hawk Moth swung a punch at her face, she ducked under the punch, bobbed to the side, and caught him under the ribs with her elbow. Hawk Moth grunted as the air was forced from his lungs, reeling back a step. Marinette stood up straight and aimed a blow at Hawk Moth's head, but he raised his cane to block.

Adrien knew the next strike was coming before Hawk Moth even moved his cane. After blocking Marinette's punch with the shaft of his cane, Hawk Moth quickly tilted the sharp tip outward, aiming to stab Marinette in the stomach. "No!" Adrien shouted, leaping to push Marinette out of the way. Instead of stabbing Marinette in the stomach, the cane struck a glancing blow to Adrien's arm, nicking him in the triceps through his T-shirt and drawing a thin line of blood. Marinette hit the ground with a grunt, with Adrien landing on top of her.

"Thanks, Kitty," she said, giving him a smile, though he thought the smile appeared forced. She pushed him off of her and stood up, as Hawk Moth stalked closer.

"I thought you two would have learned your lesson," he fumed as he approached. "Even _with_ your miraculous you needed all your friends to face me on Heroes' Day, and I've only gotten stronger since then. How can you expect to face me now, _with_ my miraculous, when it's just the two of you and you've lost your miraculous? You can't possibly win."

Adrien grunted as he pushed himself to his feet. He took another step forward to place himself protectively between Marinette and Hawk Moth, raising his fists in front of himself and crouching in a defensive posture. "It doesn't matter if the fight is winnable," he shouted defiantly. "What matters is that we fight."

Hawk Moth snorted as he brought up his cane. Behind him, Adrien felt a tug on the left side of his shirt. He gave an almost imperceptible nod.

As Hawk Moth moved to stab at Adrien with his cane, Adrien dove to his left. He sensed Marinette mirroring the move, diving to the right. Hawk Moth turned to follow Adrien, flipping the cane in his hand and swinging it with the handle outward like a club as he did so. Adrien ducked under the cane and grabbed it after it had flown past his head, wrenching it out of his father's slackened grip. His father gaped at him openmouthed. Then Adrien flipped the cane in his grip and swung the cane back, catching his father in the face with the handle. The force of the blow spun him around to face away from Adrien, toward Marinette.

As Hawk Moth came around to face her, Marinette reached out and grabbed the brooch in the center of Hawk Moth's jacket right below his neck, yanking hard as she did so. The fabric of his suit tore as the brooch was pulled away. A purple light shone around Hawk Moth, and he fell to the ground on his hands and knees as Gabriel Agreste.

Adrien looked past the kneeling figure of his father at his partner, but she was staring down at the miraculous she held in her hand, a look of shock on her face. In the distance, Adrien saw a glint of metal. Walking over to it, he found one of Marinette's earrings. Across from him, Marinette had finally moved away from his father. She stooped down and felt around for a moment before holding up his ring. After a few more minutes of searching, they found the final earring. They both reactivated their miraculous and transformed.

Then it was time for the police to deal with the former Hawk Moth.


	11. Chapter 11

_To Zhenxuan20002: That question gets answered in the Epilogue._

_To VoodooClown17: Glad I could subvert your expectation again!_

_To The Keeper of the Worlds: Thanks! I thought it was fitting to have them finally defeat Hawk Moth without their Miraculous, to show they have the same rapport without the masks as with them. After the previous chapter they're not quite on the same page anymore, but the instincts are still there._

_To Guest: Funny enough, that is exactly what this last chapter is about!_

* * *

The next few minutes passed by in a haze for Cat Noir. Ladybug placed the newly-rescued butterfly miraculous inside her yo-yo, called for her Lucky Charm, and received a pair of handcuffs with which she secured his father's arms behind his back. Cat Noir used Cataclysm on a chunk of ceiling that their fight had knocked loose and which barred their way back out of the grotto. Then he and Ladybug marched his father into the main room, where the rest of their team was tending to the confused former Akuma victims. Rena Rouge and Queen Bee stood off to the side with a now-de-transformed Nathalie paralyzed on the floor between them. They pushed his father down to sit against the wall next to his assistant.

The three girls embraced while Cat Noir stood off to the side, looking away awkwardly. Seeing his reluctance, Ladybug and Queen Bee each grabbed one of his arms and pulled him into the embrace. "You don't get out of it that easily, Kitty," Ladybug whispered, tickling his ear with her breath. Cat Noir felt himself starting to blush.

Rena Rouge reached up to touch Ladybug's cheek. "Did _he_ do that?" she asked, nodding toward his father.

_No. _I_ did it_.

"Yes," Ladybug answered without looking at Cat Noir, "it was Hawk Moth."

Cat Noir tried to hide the surprise he felt at hearing Ladybug lie to protect him. All the same, he sensed Queen Bee's eyes narrow at his reaction. Rena Rouge, however, wasn't looking at him; she had turned to glare at his father and nudged his shoulder with her foot.

Cat Noir didn't want to continue this line of questioning. "So how did you stop Mayura?" he asked, nodding down to Nathalie.

Rena Rouge grinned. "It was all the Queen's idea," she said, holding the peafowl miraculous out to Ladybug, who accepted it and stowed it inside her yo-yo next to the butterfly.

"Oh, please," Queen Bee retorted, patting Rena Rouge on the back affectionately. "I just had the idea. _You_'re the one who figured out how to make it work."

Cat Noir looked over at Ladybug and they both suppressed grins. Alya and Chloe? Getting along? The world truly _had_ gone mad!

"So her idea," Rena Rouge continued, "was to distract her and Venom her from behind. She'd seen a little slit in the back of Mayura's suit, right along the neckline, just wide enough for the tip of her top to fit through."

Queen Bee added, "So Rena Rouge created a Mirage of us attacking her from the front and filled in the whole scene to make it completely realistic. She moved to dodge an attack, turned her neck just so," she demonstrated, "I slipped the tip of my top right into there just so, and down she went." Queen Bee laughed. "Where on _earth_ did you come up with that idea?"

Rena Rouge raised an eyebrow at Ladybug. "A little foxy gave me the idea," she said, tilting her head toward the crowd of victims, where Cat Noir could see Lila sitting with the others, under the stern eye of an irate Carapace.

"She's claiming to have been a victim," Queen Bee muttered. "Claiming that Mind Games manipulated her emotions to make her a target for the Akuma."

"Does anyone believe her?" Cat Noir asked, narrowing his eyes. After everything Lila had done, she was no innocent party in all of this.

"With the look Carapace is giving her?" Rena Rouge grinned. "I don't think my man is taking _any_ of her bull."

Cat Noir looked over to where Pegasus had opened a large portal and was escorting the victims through it into the open air of the mansion's manicured lawn. "We should probably be bringing these two upstairs to meet the police," he said reluctantly, gesturing at Nathalie and his father.

"Can you girls take care of clean-up without us?" Ladybug asked.

Rena Rouge and Queen Bee nodded.

"Tell the others that they can keep the miraculous if they promise to use them only for good and to let me know if they ever plan to take them out of Paris or wish to return them. And thank them for us!" Ladybug instructed.

"No sweat, girl." Rena Rouge put a hand on her arm and winked. "We got this. You two kids have fun."

Cat Noir blushed at the implication. Whatever happened, he didn't expect to have any "fun" after what he'd done. Even so, he and Ladybug escorted his father up the elevator and through the mansion, grabbing the Book of the Miraculous on the way out. Before walking him out to the waiting police blockade, however, Cat Noir turned to his father and spoke to him for the first time since they had taken his miraculous. "So what are you going to do now? You know both our identities."

"What do you think I'm going to do?" his father asked evenly.

"Well, let's see," he retorted. He started checking items off on his fingers. "You took advantage of innocent people. You tried to destroy Paris – and in some creative ways, too. You tried to kill both Ladybug and myself on multiple occasions. You nearly _did_ kill me last time. And today you manipulated me into turning on my Ladybug. So you'll excuse me if I won't put _anything_ past you at this point!"

"You really think I would betray my own son and his girlfriend? That I would sell you out to some criminal thug to finish you off out of a misguided desire for revenge because you foiled my plan to bring your mother out of her coma?"

"Honestly, Father?" Cat Noir asked, staring his father down without a trace of warmth in his eyes, poking him in the chest with a single clawed finger. "Yes. That is exactly what I think you would do. And you need to know, right here and right now, that if you ever do that, if my Ladybug ever gets hurt because you know her identity, that no prison on _earth_ will stop me. I _will_ Cataclysm my way into your prison cell. And then I _will_ Cataclysm you into dust. Have I made myself clear?"

His father gave him an appraising look. "Quite impressive, son. I almost think I believe you." Then he sighed and chuckled. "I am sorry that I have been such a terrible father to you recently that you would believe so ill of me. But I give you my word that I will not reveal your identities to anyone. You are my son and I love you. Even if you _did_ stop me from restoring your mother," he added bitterly. "Nonetheless, I do hope that one day you will forgive me, son."

Cat Noir glanced over at Ladybug. If it had been her in the coffin, what would he have done to get her back? He finally turned back to his father and said, "I understand what drove you to do this. I may even be able to forgive you some day. But today I am ashamed to be your son. I am ashamed that I almost turned into you."

With that he grabbed his father's elbow to walk him out to the waiting patrol car. Officer Raincomprix replaced the Lucky Charm handcuffs with a pair of his own and handed the Lucky Charm back to Ladybug with a "thank you." Ladybug smiled at him and nodded before throwing the Lucky Charm into the air with a shout of "Miraculous Ladybug." The handcuffs erupted in a swirl of red magic that covered up the mansion and its grounds, repairing the damage from both that day's fight and the previous one.

"I'm sorry, Officer," Ladybug said, taking Cat Noir's hand and squeezing it. "This has been a long and stressful day, so I hope you'll understand if Cat Noir and I don't stick around. If you have any further questions, Rena Rouge and Queen Bee are on their way out with Mr. Agreste's accomplice. They can answer any questions you may have."

"Of course, Ladybug, Ma'am," Officer Raincomprix answered. He glanced down at their clasped hands before nodding and turning back toward the mansion.

Ladybug led Cat Noir out of the gates and down a few streets before pulling the two miraculous out of her yo-yo and saying, "Spots off." Cat Noir followed suit. A few moments later they were walking away in their civilian guises, his hand still clasped tightly in Marinette's.

Tikki and Plagg were both quiet as they ate their snacks. Marinette had not spoken since they left the mansion. His companions' silence suited Adrien quite well. He could not bear to hear their recriminations for his inexcusable actions. The recriminations running through his own head were more than loud enough.

He had betrayed his Ladybug. No, he had betrayed _Marinette_: the girl who had adored him as a civilian, who had trusted him completely as a superhero. All in a moment he had destroyed that relationship, one that he had built and treasured for years. He could never repair it. He didn't need to look over at her, to see the disappointment in her eyes, to know that she must be thinking the same thing. He did not deserve her. Not after this. Not after what he had done.

Marinette finally broke the silence several blocks into their walk. "I'm sorry," she began timidly. "I'm sorry about your mother. I-I know how much she must mean to you."

Adrien's head jerked up in surprise and he nearly walked into a street sign. She wasn't thinking the same as him, after all. _After all of this, after everything I did to her, she's still thinking about me. About _my_ feelings._

"Adrien?" she asked hesitantly. He could listen to her say his name forever. How could he have considered hurting her? How could he have ever considered wishing his mother back, when the price could have been Marinette?

"I don't deserve you," he whispered quietly, looking over at her. She wore an uncertain expression on her face, a mixture between concern and fear.

"Adrien," she said, "I meant what I said. You know that, right? If that is what you want…" Her voice trailed off as she lifted a hand to one earring.

"I know," he answered, taking both her hands in his. "Believe me, after today, I know. And that's what makes my shame greatest."

Marinette's eyes went wide and mouth came open with comprehension.

"I meant what I said down there, too," he went on, "about not deserving to be your Cat Noir. I'll return the ring to Master Fu when we get to the dojo. Then you can find a better partner."

Marinette flung her arms around his neck and kissed him fiercely on the lips. He hugged her to himself in desperation. If this was the last time he would ever hold her as his girlfriend, he wanted to make it last as long as possible.

Soon, too soon, Marinette broke the kiss and looked up into his eyes. But the look he saw when he looked back was not one of sadness or pain or grief. The look in her eyes was no less adoring than before the fight, before he had betrayed her. _I do not deserve this girl_.

"You are not returning your ring," she declared fiercely, fixing him with a withering gaze. "You are _not_ leaving me, Kitty. Because even after today, you are _still_ my partner. You are my partner, and there is no one else in the world that I trust as much as I trust you."

"Yes, Milady," he purred, pulling her closer. He certainly didn't deserve his Lady, but he was certainly going to try.

* * *

An hour later, Master Fu returned from his patrol of the area to find the sleeping bags lying out on the floor, and Adrien and Marinette sprawled on top of them, with Marinette resting her head on Adrien's chest. Tikki and Plagg lay curled up, Tikki on Marinette's shoulder and Plagg on Adrien's stomach. Adrien and Marinette didn't stir as the door opened. The soft, steady rising and falling of their chests testified to how exhausted they must have been. Only Plagg opened an eye to look at the intruder. Recognizing Master Fu, he yawned, closed his eye, and went back to sleep.

Checking the Miraculous Box, Master Fu was pleased to see both the peafowl and butterfly back in their accustomed places. Shutting the Box, he smiled, made a shushing noise to Longg, and tiptoed out of the room.


	12. Epilogue Part 1

_AN: This is part one of the Epilogue. At first the Epilogue of this story was going to be the first part of the sequel, but I realized that was a little too much to dump there, so it turned into an Epilogue for this story. And then I realized the Epilogue was close to twice the average chapter length for both "Milady" and "Mind Games," so I split it at a natural break point. The second half will come tomorrow._

_To VoodooClown17: I don't think you're overthinking too much. I already have a sequel planned, though that's not going to focus specifically on the vacuum of power created by Hawk Moth's defeat. I do see a lot of minor villains appearing (mostly non-powered) over the next several months/year. But remember: there are no less than 9 superheroes protecting Paris at the moment, so it's not going to be easy for a new villain to gain traction, at least not if they are obvious about it… Perhaps this will be another future sequel…_

_To The Keeper of Worlds: Thanks! Some of that gets answered in the Epilogue, some in the sequel (once I write the sequel…)._

* * *

Marinette let out a breath as she looked over at Adrien, who was reading on her chaise while she worked on a skirt design at the desk. Her eyesight was starting to blur from staring at the tiny stitching for so long. With a groan she got up from the chair, stretching her arms and neck as she did so. Then she went over to the chaise and lay down, lifting Adrien's arms out of the way so she could put her head on his chest. He adjusted his legs and rested his arm across her chest but didn't look up from his book. She sighed in contentment as she snuggled in.

"Is that still the same book?" Marinette asked him.

"No," he answered, setting the book aside and looking down at her. "I finished the one on business management. This one is about accounting."

"Sounds riveting," Marinette yawned. "Isn't that why you hired an accountant?"

"It is, but I should probably know how to read my own accounts," he replied, grimacing. "M. Renoir says the quickest way for me to lose my shirts is to lose track of my accountant."

"I suppose the lawyer would know best."

"You know, I'm starting to regret agreeing to take over Father's business." Adrien was quiet for a minute. "But how is the new spring skirt coming along, Mlle. Assistant Designer?"

"Are you sure you want me to answer that, M. CEO?" she teased. "It's coming along fine, but I'm not sure about the stitching on the pocket."

"Does it need anything special on the pocket?"

Marinette arched an eyebrow at him. "Have you gotten any more complaints about hiring me?" she asked, changing the subject.

He laughed. "Those who quit had already put in their notice the moment Nadja announced the arrest. All the rest of the team needed to see was that Jagged Stone T-shirt before they welcomed you in. There were a lot of compliments about the use of color and shading. Besides, we did officially change the title to 'Assistant Lead Designer,'" he reminded her.

Marinette sighed in relief. Being accused of favoritism was the last thing she needed, especially in her first professional job in the fashion industry. She hoped that being Adrien's (for now unofficial) business partner would also wind up being the last job she ever needed in fashion, but all the same: no one would want to work for a company whose (eventual) Lead Fashion Designer "earned" the position only because she was dating the boss!

"Do you ever miss the days when the most complicated thing on your plate was trying to figure out how Hawk Moth managed to Akumatize a _squirrel_?" she asked him, giggling.

Adrien burst into laughter. "I'd forgotten about the Great Squirrel Caper!" he said, wiping tears from his eyes. "Sometimes I wish things hadn't gotten so complicated. At least with Hawk Moth we _thought_ we knew what we were dealing with. These days?" He shrugged. "If it weren't for my friends and replacement family, I don't know if I could balance being a student and CEO by day and a superhero by night." He paused pensively. "But no; I'm quite glad to trade my father Akumatizing half of Paris for having to deal with lawyers and accountants!"

"Speaking of, have you heard from your father lately?"

He shook his head. "No, I haven't talked to Father since the sentencing. M. Renoir says he's relieved that both Father and Nathalie agreed to a plea deal; he's not sure how the scandal of a prolonged trial would have affected the business. And who knows what would have happened with an actual trial, since the 'witness testimony' would have come from a bunch of superheroes?"

"Any idea why he agreed to it? The news thought he had a good shot at a mistrial because of the 'lack of credible witnesses.'" Marinette added the air-quotes in disgust. _As if anyone in Paris _doubted_ Hawk Moth's crimes _or_ our credibility!_

"M. Renoir gave me a note from Father's lawyer saying that he was doing it for me, because he didn't want to drag me through the pain of a trial," Adrien said, eyes hardening. "I think he's hoping I will forgive him."

"Adrien," Marinette said tenderly, drawing his gaze down to her face. She took his hand and placed it on her cheek, covering it with her own and squeezing it gently. "See? The bruise is completely gone, and I forgave you for it the day it happened. When will you forgive him?"

"I'll forgive him when half of Paris stops blaming me for his crimes."

Marinette felt her cheeks burning at the injustice of it. "It's not fair," she said angrily. "Don't they realize you were as much a victim as they were? And you were the one who stopped him! You saved them from being Akumatized!"

Adrien let out a sigh. "I know. If they knew I was Cat Noir, if they knew what I did to stop him, things would be different. But they can't."

"At least the others know."

"Yeah. I guess that's one good thing to come out of that fight."

"Have you finished the Hawk Moth Apology Tour yet?" Marinette asked.

He nodded. "Ondine today was the last."

"She was way out of line," Marinette said, looking away so he wouldn't see the anger and hurt in her eyes.

"Well, she _did_ get turned into Syren and used to flood the city after Kim rejected her, so…"

"All the same, she had no right to say what she did," Marinette insisted. "I'm glad Kim stepped in. I was 2 seconds away from transforming right then and there to slap some sense into her!"

Adrien chuckled. "I didn't know he had that kind of anger in him. The way he was carrying on, I was afraid _he_ was going to reveal our secrets if he wasn't careful!"

Marinette sat up and put her head on his shoulder. She idly reached up to run her fingers through his hair. She smiled as he sighed and rested his cheek on the top of her head, wrapping both arms around her shoulders as he did so.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you?" Adrien whispered.

"Hmm… you might have," Marinette answered coyly. "But you could stand to say it more often."

"I love you," he whispered softly. "Our relationship is easily the best thing that happened to me this summer."

Marinette snorted and poked him gently in the ribs. "Thanks. Considering what _else_ happened this summer, that's not much of a compliment!"

Adrien grinned sheepishly. "I suppose not," he admitted. He squeezed her shoulder tightly. "But still. This makes it all worth it."

"Are you staying here tonight?" Marinette asked hopefully, pulling back and looking into his eyes.

"Not sure yet. Your mother said she's making quiche, so I'll definitely stay for dinner. But I haven't actually slept at the mansion in a while, and Mme. Lenoir might start worrying."

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Marinette said. "Besides, I love coming downstairs in the morning to find you talking business with Papa."

"I've been blessed," he commented, smiling. "I knew nothing about how to run a business a month ago, and now I almost think I might. Your father's full of all kinds of good advice. Not that there's _too_ much parallel between running a bakery and running a fashion house…"

"Well, you both need to anticipate what the customers will want, recognize trends, keep the right inventory without overdoing it on any item… Papa seems to enjoy having someone to share his wisdom with."

"Your parents are so nice," he observed, eyes brightening. "I'd barely lost my father when I suddenly had new 'adoptive' parents."

"Mama's always loved you," Marinette told him matter-of-factly. "Even when we were just friends and I could hardly say two words in front of you. And we have so few guests that we hardly ever used both guest rooms at once, so it was no trouble for Mama to make one up just for you. Besides, what were you expecting? They found out about us the same time they found out about your father's arrest. Mama thought you would go crazy and starve, rattling around in that big mansion all by yourself."

"Not much chance of starving when my girlfriend's father is the best baker in Paris! All the same, I probably should check in at the mansion tonight," Adrien finally said. "Max and Markov have been alone down there a little too often; I'm afraid I could go home and find that they've installed laser-guided anti-aircraft missiles on the roof or bought us a tank or something!"

Marinette giggled. "How has it been going, converting Hawk Moth's old lair into our new headquarters?" At first she had been reluctant to go along with Adrien's suggestion after everything that had happened during the last fight. However, Adrien had been so insistent on putting the lair to a positive use after all the evil his father had committed from there, that she had decided to support him in it.

"So far it's going well," he answered enthusiastically. "Max's last update said that he'd finally settled on a computer system and gotten permission from Mayor Bourgeois to patch us into the police dispatch. The Mayor's also putting him in contact with the police chiefs for some of the other nearby towns. He and Markov are working on programming an A.I. that can monitor things when none of us are there, which will text us alerts when something happens."

"Did they figure out how to get the big dining room table down to the headquarters?"

"Yep." Adrien chuckled, a grimace on his face. "And you're going to feel as silly as I did when I tell you how: Max used Voyage to open a portal and had Ivan help him push it through!"

Marinette slapped her forehead. Why hadn't the rest of them thought of that? "So has he reconsidered his decision about continuing as Pegasus?"

"Not completely," Adrien answered. "He's definitely going to keep the Miraculous; Markov and Kaalki have really bonded, apparently. But right now Max is content to leave the heroics to the rest of us as much as possible. He's just going to help us out in the background. Tech support, opening portals for us when we need it, that sort of thing."

Marinette nodded and shrugged. "That's fine," she said. "We need all the help we can get."

"Speaking of," Adrien began, "have you given any more thought to recruitment? You still have seven miraculous in the box without holders."

Marinette sighed. "I'm working on it. I like your suggestion of giving Kagami the dragon miraculous. Alya and Ivan both think I should give the mouse miraculous to Mylène, and Luka's campaigning for Juleka to get the goat miraculous," she told him. "But I'm just going to recruit two of them for now; Nino's nervous about training more than 3 new miraculous holders at the same time. Master Fu still doesn't like the idea of giving out too many at once, even with Hawk Moth defeated. Of course, he said it's my call, so…"

"He'll come around eventually," Adrien replied confidently. "It's a good thing he's still around for guidance."

"It's not like he was going to go very far; you did hire his lady friend as your housekeeper!" That had probably been Adrien's shrewdest move in the last month. Hiring Marianne gave Master Fu a ready excuse for visiting the Agreste mansion at all hours of the day. The work was exceedingly light since Adrien spent most of his time at the bakery. And because she already knew Master Fu's secret, they didn't have to worry about an outsider learning that the Agreste mansion was the new headquarters for both the Heroes of Paris and the Guardians of the Miraculous.

"Has Master Fu had any luck with his quest?"

"Not yet," Marinette answered, giving him a sympathetic squeeze. "The Book of the Miraculous doesn't say anything about repairing a damaged miraculous, so that's no help. Tikki's running out of ideas. And the only time we've ever done it before, it was with Miraculous Ladybug and the miraculous had been broken to release an Akuma. But when the peafowl miraculous was broken, the ladybug was nowhere near it, so there's no connection there. And since then I've used Miraculous Ladybug around it – active _and_ inactive – several times, and it hasn't done anything to repair it. Unfortunately, the same seems to be true for your mother: Master Fu thinks repairing the miraculous holds the key to reviving her, and he's no closer to the one than to the other."

Adrien's face fell. Marinette sat up straight, wrapped both her arms around his neck, and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "I'm sorry," she whispered, putting her head on his shoulder. "I know how much this means to you."

In response, he wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed her tight. He smiled as he gave her a longer kiss. "Thanks," he said. "But she's waited four years; she can wait a little longer."

"Are you sure you want to keep her portrait as the entrance for our headquarters?"

Adrien nodded. "Absolutely. I want all the Heroes of Paris to remember Paris' original hero."

She hugged him tighter. "She would be pleased."

At that moment, Marinette's mother stuck her head through the trapdoor. "Kids! Dinner will be ready in five minutes! Time to come down!"

"Thanks, Mama," Marinette called back, extricating herself from Adrien's arms. "We'll be down in a minute."

When her mother's footsteps had receded, Adrien asked Marinette, "So who are you on patrol with tonight? Alya?"

Marinette groaned. "No, it's Chloe tonight. I'm not sure if I can handle it after school today."

"I'm sorry." Adrien grimaced. "I don't know what she was thinking, screaming at you like that. She knows _exactly_ why we started dating. And she told me weeks ago that she'd gotten over it and had decided to be happy for us."

Marinette sighed. "I thought she was over it, too, but I guess not. I'd much rather if I was spending the night patrolling with you."

"Sorry," Adrien said sympathetically. "Nino thought it would be best if we rotate our patrols, and I admit I see his reasoning on why. But I'll be there faster than you can twitch a whisker if you need backup."

"Thanks, Kitty."

Before they descended from Marinette's room, Adrien picked up the skirt she had been working on at the desk. "I think the design looks fine," he told her, holding it up to her waist appraisingly.

"Ugh," she retorted. "Men. You may own the fashion house, Adrien, but you don't know anything about women's fashion!"


	13. Epilogue Part 2

_To GuenZhenXuan2019: Thanks! I hope you feel the same after part 2!_

_To VoodooClown17: The final chapter actually came out on Christmas Day. Today is the 27__th__ for me._

_To Rose Tiger: None of the Akuma victims are arrested; the only people legally responsible are Gabriel and Nathalie. Lila was a willing accomplice, but because she was Akumatized she can't be held responsible for her actions, so she is free. Gorilla still works for Adrien._

_To Speckleflower: Wow, thanks! I've said it before: I'm a fan of _Miraculous_ for what it _can_ be more than for what it _is_. I'm glad you've enjoyed my take on it!_

_To The Keeper of Worlds: Well, part 2 of the Epilogue is the patrol mentioned, so…_

* * *

After dinner, Adrien kissed Marinette good-bye, thanked her parents for dinner, and called his bodyguard for a ride home. Marinette told her parents she was exhausted after the first day of school and needed to go to bed early. However, ten minutes later she had transformed and swung off her roof patio, angling for her rendezvous with Queen Bee at the Arc de Triomphe.

Ladybug understood the reasons the others had given for rotating patrols – she wouldn't have approved the plan if she hadn't. She was certainly looking forward to only spending 1 or 2 nights on patrol each week, instead of going out every night, as she had for the last two years while they fought Hawk Moth. But even so, she would much rather have been patrolling with Cat Noir. Especially after what Chloe had said during their first class that morning.

Ladybug swung herself around a streetlamp and launched herself up to land catlike on top of the Arc, where Queen Bee was pacing anxiously while waiting for her. "Hi," she greeted her partner for the night, a little brisker than she'd intended. "Ready?"

"Wait, Marinette…" Queen Bee began hesitantly, a pained expression on her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean a word of what I said this morning."

"It was mean and it was cruel," Ladybug said angrily, her hands balling into fists and shaking by her sides.

"I know," Queen Bee answered quietly. Her lip quivered. "I never would have said it if I didn't think I absolutely had to."

"Why could you possibly have thought you needed to call me those things?" Ladybug demanded.

"Would you believe I did it to protect you?" Queen Bee asked.

Ladybug furrowed her brow in confusion.

"If I hadn't reacted badly to your relationship with Adrien, it would have raised a lot of uncomfortable questions, the ones you've been avoiding for 2 years." Queen Bee sat down and let her legs dangle over the side of the monument. She looked down at the plaza below them, avoiding Ladybug's gaze. "Sabrina heard a rumor after the fight and the arrest that all the heroes knew each other's identities now. And since everyone in Paris knows I'm Queen Bee, that rumor would suggest that I know who Ladybug and Cat Noir are. And then you and Adrien are suddenly inseparable – he's practically living at your house, Marinette! – at the same time that Ladybug and Cat Noir start acting like they are in a relationship for all the world to see? After years of you refusing to give him the time of day? If I _didn't_ say anything after the last few years, when everyone knows we 'hate' each other and I have a crush on Adrien, people would notice. The only way to keep everyone at school from thinking that you are Ladybug and Cat Noir was for me behave the way I would have last year, the way I probably would have if I didn't know the truth. Get upset about the news, flip out in the most spectacular way imaginable, and act like this was the worst thing that could ever have happened to me. How on earth could Queen Bee – how could _Chloe Bourgeois_ – knowingly attack Ladybug, her hero, that way? Believe me, I hated every word of it. But I know I took it way too far. I'm sorry."

Ladybug breathed out a frustrated sigh as she sat down next to Queen Bee. "You accused me of _seducing_ Adrien and _blackmailing_ him into dating me! You accused me of being a _gold digger_ now that his father's out of the way! That's a _lot_ to forgive. We've never done anything more than _kiss_! And I don't care about anything else; I just care about _him_. If Alya hadn't stepped in when she did…"

Queen Bee looked up at her and grinned. "Yeah, Alya sure was something else, wasn't she? All righteous anger and indignation!"

Something in the way she said it made Ladybug turn to glare at Queen Bee, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Wait… did-did you two… _plan_ this?" she growled.

Queen Bee's grin turned sheepish. "No," she protested. "Or, well, not _exactly_."

Ladybug stared at her.

"After Sabrina warned me about the rumor and I realized what it could mean, I didn't know what to do, so I called Alya." She held up a hand in protest. "I know, you think I should have told you. And we both wanted to. But you have so much on your plate already, and we both knew this would make you freak out and panic over having to break up with Adrien to protect both of your identities, even though it's obvious how much he needs you after everything this summer… So we decided to handle this problem ourselves without worrying you."

"How much did Alya know?" Ladybug felt anger starting to build.

"Honestly? Not much. She had the idea for me to have one last 'Chloe Bourgeois-style' meltdown all over you, with her stepping in as your over-protective BFF. Then we would start and stop every possible rumor at the same time, and build everyone's sympathy for you as the poor, helpless victim of my insane jealousy. And, by extension, build some sympathy for Adrien while we were at it. After I got done with you, no one would ever be comfortable saying any of those things out loud again." Queen Bee stopped. Her shoulders slumped as she sighed. "But Alya didn't know everything I was going to say – some of it I think she was _actually_ mad about. And _I_ was the one who said it. And now I've ruined our friendship, just when I'd hoped it was starting."

Ladybug sighed and let out all the anger and frustration she'd been harboring against Chloe that day along with the breath. Her friends had meant well. She supposed she couldn't fault them for trying to protect her superhero identity – even if she wished they'd found a less mortifying way to do it! _Maybe giving Alya the miraculous of illusion _wasn't_ my best idea ever…_ "You haven't ruined our friendship," she finally said, somewhat reluctantly. "It's going to take a while for me to forget you said those things. But I can at least forgive you. Even if I wish you _hadn't_ questioned my virtue so explicitly in front of our entire class!" Even with the remonstrance, she couldn't keep her lips from twitching upward into a small smile at the relief that spread across Queen Bee's face on hearing her words.

"So am I still invited over for movie night on Friday?" Queen Bee asked eagerly.

Ladybug nodded and grinned wider. "I never would have thought that movie night with my parents and friends would become the highlight of your week, Chlo!"

"Seriously? You've met my parents, right?" Queen Bee sighed dramatically, only to erupt into a fit of giggling. "Just the fact that your parents can be in the same room without bickering is a nice change of pace! That you have friends who genuinely want to spend time with you…" She was quiet for a minute. "Can I bring Sabrina, too?" When Ladybug nodded, she continued, "I wanted to thank you for agreeing to let me give her the butterfly miraculous. Thank you for letting her be a part of this. I haven't always been a good friend, especially to her, and I want to be better."

"You're welcome," Ladybug answered. She shook her head in amusement. "The Miraculous Book warns that cleansing a miraculous after it's been bent to an evil purpose takes a strong will, but I think Sabrina is up to the challenge; she's had plenty of practice pacifying _you_, after all!" she teased. "Is our Impératrice Pourpre* ready if we need her tonight?"

"Definitely," Queen Bee responded, matching her grin. "She's excited!"

"Then let's get going! We shouldn't keep Paris waiting!" Ladybug threw her yo-yo down at an angle, looping it around the top of the Arc, jumped backward to swing around through the Arc, and leapt out toward the city, followed closely by Queen Bee swinging on her top.

"You can count on me, Ladybug!"

Whatever the future might hold, Ladybug and her friends would face it together.

* * *

_* A "Purple Emperor" is a type of butterfly native to France (at least according to the Internet). I wasn't going to just call her "Butterfly" because the French for "Butterfly" is the French name for Hawk Moth._

_So the direct sequel might not be the next story I publish; I got an idea on Christmas for another quick story that would take place around New Year's (after the sequel, which starts closer to September or so, a month after this Epilogue), so I'm going to try to publish that next week or so._

_But here's a sneak peak for the sequel, tentatively titled "Running out of Time":_

* * *

"Yeah, that's not happening, honey."

Adrien and Marinette whipped around to see who had just spoken. Adrien's jaw dropped open in shock when he saw the newcomer. Her blond hair was in a pixie cut and streaked with grey. She wore a modest professional suit. Wrinkles creased her face. A long scar ran from her forehead all the way to her jaw line. She limped as she strode across the room and fell into one of the empty chairs at the table. And yet she had the same eyes and mouth, the same expression and mannerisms. It was –

"Chloe?" Marinette whispered, heart thumping in her chest. Surely her eyes had to be playing a trick on her, right? Chloe had only left their table a few minutes before; what could possibly have happened to her in that time?

"Hi, Mar," the newcomer – Chloe – said, pulling out the chair and collapsing into it. She looked at Marinette with an expression of such affection that Marinette almost turned away in embarrassment. "It's been so long."

"It's been 2 minutes," Adrien observed, looking at the new Chloe with a confused expression on his face.

"For you it has," Chloe answered him with a nod. "For me it's been closer to 20 years."

"You're from the future?"

"Hey, I knew you were smart, sweetie. I need your help."

"Why can't you just ask us in your own time?"

"That's the thing," Chloe replied, looking them dead in the eye. "In my time, you're dead, and you're the problem."


	14. Running out of Time Announcement

Note: This announcement is cross-posted on both "Milady" and "Mind Games." If you read one, you don't need to bother with the other.

The sequel to "Mind Games" is published, titled "Running out of Time." There are a couple other stories in what I'm calling the "Mind Games"-verse (the story that started with "Milady" and continued through "Mind Games") already completed, all of which you can find on my profile. "Bugs Have to Stick Together" expands on Chloe's character development after "Mind Games" (and during the time jump between "Milady" and "Mind Games"). "Tit for Tat" introduces the next "big bad" the Heroes of Paris will have to face now that Hawk Moth has been defeated.

Here is the FF summary for "Running out of Time":

Sequel to "Mind Games." Adrien and Marinette whipped around to see who had just spoken. Adrien's jaw dropped open in shock when he saw the newcomer. "Chloe?" Marinette whispered. "Hi, Mar," the newcomer said. "It's been so long. I need your help." "You're from the future? Can't you ask future-us?" "That's the thing. In my time, you're dead, and you're the problem."


End file.
